They told him they were concerned that the new diploma would not provide the necessary level of skills for candidates who could go on to work in Flying Start, early years support for under-threes.
UCU said the criteria for the new level 3 could lead to students with no academic qualifications working unsupervised with children in nurseries after only 12 weeks' experience in one setting.
Shan Bowen, a lecturer in childcare at the School of Care and Childhood Studies at Coleg Morgannwg, Rhondda Cynon Taff, said, 'With the new level 3 you could end up with someone who is barely literate with just one placement in an out-of-school club - which is vastly different from working in a nursery - who would have a licence to practise in a school or nursery. We're very concerned about safety issues and qualifications. You cannot assume that one placement is sufficient.'
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