Job vacancies in the UK are at an all-time high in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation reporting that he hardest-hit sectors include lorry drivers, nurses, IT workers, care staff, nursery teachers, chefs, cleaners, carpenters and retail assistants.
The Office for National Statistics said that vacancies rose above one million in the three months to August, the first time such a trend has been since records began.
Director of Footprints Learning for Life Nursery Sharon Birch has been one of many business leaders facing this new reality when it comes to recruitment in recent months.
Based in Hartlepool, Footprints Learning for Life is an award-winning day nursery which was graded "outstanding" by Ofsted in its most recent inspection.
Speaking to This is Money, Birch explained that applications were way down and that was resulting in fewer quality candidates being available
"It's a huge problem," she said. "I'm recruiting for staff and had 50 applications.
"I invited ten for interview and only three turned up. It's so frustrating. I can spend weeks recruiting just one staff member and only after months of looking was I able to find and recruit a cook."
Footprints Learning for Life lost a number of staff members as a result of the upheaval caused by the pandemic.
"It's a big loss for the business, especially when it is so difficult to get replacements," she explained.
"We're poor in assets, but rich in ambition," Birch added. "You'd never go into this sector for the money."
Founded in 2006, Footprints Learning for Life has built a strong reputation within the local community, always able to adapt to the difficult circumstances they have faced in the past.
"We are innovative and embrace change in a sector that has strict regulations," Birch wrote in her recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review.
"My vision for the future is to continue giving the families of Hartlepool quality childcare fit for purpose. I would love to offer children up to the age of seven the opportunity to continue their education with us, as we know that not all are ready for the formal school system. Our emphasis is learning through play and discovery in a variety of different environments, in a variety of different ways."
