Mrs Hodge opened the new Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Childcare and Early Years Education at Carshalton College in Surrey last week, describing it as 'one of the first centres of vocational excellence that we have established around childcare and early years'. She said the Government hoped to establish 400 such centres of vocational excellence by 2006.
The college's CoVE status recognises its ability to develop new and enhance existing specialist vocational training that focuses on meeting employers'
needs.
The minister toured the new building, which has five classrooms and specialist student facilities for more than 150 students, as well as the Elmwood day nursery, a facility with 60 places for children aged from three months to five years that is for use by students and by the wider community.
At present more than 1,300 full- and part-time care and early years students study at Carshalton College, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary year. More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of them are over the age of 19 and more than 10 per cent are male.
The Care Academy has been part-funded by the college in partnership with Sutton Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, which helped the college to secure funding from the New Opportunities Fund as part of the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative. It has also received grant funding from the London Development Agency, and the Learning and Skills Council.
