Member of CWDC believes UK children would benefit from more men working in the childcare sector.
There needs to be more men undertaking qualifications in the childcare sector, according to the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC).
Research by the organisation reveals that over half of parents (55 per cent) want a qualified male worker for their nursery-aged children.
Another survey by the Training and Development Agency for Schools found that more than one fifth (22 per cent) of adult males felt male primary school teachers were good role models.
Half of those surveyed also reported that they would be more likely to approach male teachers for advice on bullying.
However, Thom Crabbe, national development manager for early years at the CWDC, suggested that male childcare workers are still in the minority.
He said: "Traditionally this has not been seen as a job for the boys.
"Men are vastly under-represented in the early years workforce and we want confident and capable men to take their place in this workforce."
In a report by the Department of Children, Schools and Families in 2007, male teachers were seen by children as treating boys more harshly than female teachers.
Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of pupils aged between 11 and 15 indicated that the gender of teachers did not matter.
Despite this, female teachers were often perceived as being less influenced by gender expectations among individual pupils.
Commenting on the professional demand for male teachers, Mr Crabbe said: "There is a social shift and men are now far more hands on with the upbringing of their children.
"We feel this needs to be reflected in professional childcare settings."
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