Business Development - Right for the job

Developing practice with two-year-olds and providing places for the free entitlement is an important focus for Mace Montessori Nursery Schools, which runs seven nurseries across London. In September, its Hammersmith setting gave a warm welcome to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who used his visit to launch the expanded offer for twos.

To support its evolving practice, Mace Montessori is keen to bring young apprentices into its settings and give them the opportunity to develop their careers. Business development director Jon Lloyd reports that he has taken on five Children and Young People's Workforce apprentices at Level 2 and Level 3 since 2011, all of whom have been recruited through apprenticeship training provider Lifetime Training. These apprentices have staff positions with Mace Montessori and are doing well in their roles.

Mr Lloyd says, 'There was a big push for Government-funded apprenticeships around 2011 and at that time I started to look into how we could work in partnership with a training provider. Lifetime Training impressed because it was very efficient and gave clear guidelines on its procedures.'

According to Mr Lloyd, the advantage of Lifetime Training is that it provides a rigorous pre-screening programme. This includes interviewing each candidate to get a feel for their ambitions and how committed they are to the idea of working in childcare. After their application they are given a cooling-off period to ensure they want to go forward. Candidates are also given basic training in essential areas such as first aid and safeguarding.

'This service saves us time and money and we know when we interview someone that they are serious about taking up an apprenticeship with us,' Mr Lloyd says. 'We find that interviewees have been fully briefed and are well organised, which is very helpful.'

Across Mace Montessori's settings, apprentices complement existing staff to create 'ideal teams', with a balance of ages and experience. 'We find our apprentices really enjoy learning on the job,' says Mr Lloyd. 'For some, sitting in a classroom and learning theory is not the right approach, and our apprentices have told us that learning and earning money at the same time is the best option for them.'

He adds, 'What I like about apprenticeships is that they give opportunities to young people who may have had difficulty getting a foot on the ladder, or who haven't enjoyed being purely college-based. We find they bring real energy and vibrancy into our nurseries.'

He testifies to the fact that the partnership with Lifetime Training is key to ensuring that apprentices maximise their potential and contribute to enhanced practice with children.

'Because we enjoy a relationship with Lifetime,' he says, 'we can work together to ensure each individual is well supported throughout their work-based, learning journey.'

• www.lifetimetraining.co.uk.