EYPs celebrate new status
The first cohort of graduates to achieve Early Years Professional Status through longer training routes gathered in London on Monday at a reception hosted by the Children's Workforce Development Council and attended by children's minister Beverley Hughes.
Just over 1,700 early years workers have now attained EYPS - 70 have completed the full pathway of 12 months full-time, and 58 the long extended professional development pathway of 15 months part-time.
Nine graduates have completed the long EPD pathway at Reading University. Amanda Booty, director of EYPS at Reading, said, 'This is how the sector is going to grow its own leaders.
'These are the first cohort who had unrelated degrees but were working in the sector already. The growth has been enormous for the long pathway. There is not only demand for EYPS, but the demand for foundation degrees is increasing. It's really exciting that career paths are opening up.'
However, Ms Booty added that many of the graduates who were already working as room leaders in nurseries were unclear about what roles they could move into.
'There is some frustration, because the status is being awarded before there is a clear idea of what EYPs will do. They are trained to make a difference. They all undertake EYPS to develop their own careers for themselves.'
Thom Crabbe, national development manager for early years at the CWDC, said, 'Since we haven't prescribed the roles EYPs move in to, it's about leading practice, being in charge of a room or progressing up to a deputy in a setting. It's about being a skilled practitioner, coaching and supporting the rest of a team.'
He said that 2,500 people were expected to start the programme in September and the majority of them would be on the longer training routes.
'The long and full pathways are where we are making the impact beyond the early years workforce. These pathways will be the main stream of EYPs in the future.'
From September two new additional routes will be piloted.
Mr Crabbe said, 'We're widening the routes to EYPS so there is a broader base of access.' He added that there are now 125 local authorities running support networks offering training days and mentoring and supply cover for EYPs.
Reading's intake for EYPS was 26 last September and there are already 40 students waiting to be interviewed for September 2008.
