Special Focus: How apprenticeships are broadening their scope

For the many young people out there who already have first-hand experience in looking after children – and who also have a genuine affinity with them – a career in early years becomes a choice rather than default. Early years now offers more specialisms than ever before, and is crying out for individuals who are happy to grow in their roles.

Stronger apprenticeship routes are beginning to support this idea. In addition to their opportunity for hands-on training and on-the-job pay, recent changes have boosted their opportunities for skills development in the longer term.

Northampton University recently launched its Early Years, Childhood and Family Studies (Top-UP) BA Hons programme, which allow those with vocational qualifications to bridge the gap to a degree. Meanwhile, the Level 6 Early Years Teacher apprenticeship is nearing full approval.

Apprentices can also now expect to fast-forward their responsibilities. Last October, the Government introduced regulatory changes that included allowing managers to decide whether students and apprentices can count in ratios where appropriate. Apprentices who can grasp these opportunities with confidence are well set to move up the ladder.

Given that 20 per cent of off-the-job training is a compulsory component of apprenticeships, this ratio boost is a useful development. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that an apprentice will opt to stay with their setting after qualifying. With the investment employers make in them, it makes sense to encourage them with opportunities for career progression.

‘AN IMPORTANT PIPELINE’

Inevitably there can be a problem with students finishing their training and then opting out of early years, according to Diana Lawton, managing director at Our Monkey Club nurseries. Diana has been a key player in finalising the National Standards for the apprenticeship programmes, for the Level 5 Lead Practitioner and Level 6 Pedagogic Lead.

‘Some Level 3s find that actual work in a pre-school is not the same as studying it in a classroom; it’s not what they expected, and even for those students who do decide to go into the profession, it’s often not long term,’ she says.

‘Even so, early years apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly important pipeline for early years staff, and the changes that have come into force from the beginning of January this year are being widely welcomed, as the sector is having real trouble recruiting Level 3s. From now on, if you are studying at Level 3 and your employer decides you have reached a high degree of competency in your knowledge and training, you can be classed as a qualified Level 2 practitioner and counted in the ratios.’

Diana believes this will make a massive difference – ‘it means students do not have to wait for the qualification, and can be implemented in ratios before achieving Level 3. This will undoubtedly help nurseries, as if you employ staff that you can’t count in your ratios it makes life very difficult.’

LEADING TO HIGHER QUALIFICATIONS

At training provider Realise, head of sector Karen Derbyshire believes apprenticeships are proving an investment that not only delivers well-qualified staff but also helps answer the problems of the recruitment crisis.

She says, ‘Here at Realise, we work with more than 1,000 employers across the UK, and many of those have long seen the value of apprenticeships within the sector. Employers who recognised the opportunity apprenticeships present and acted on it a few years ago are now seeing the benefits of that investment and are looking to expand their offering further by reinvesting their agency costs into apprenticeship programmes.

‘This approach supports consistency in the delivery of learning for the children and ensures the settings have a regular pipeline of qualified practitioners in the future.

‘Let’s be clear, apprenticeships are not a short-term fix, and the learners require support, mentoring and exposure to excellent training – much of it on the job – from both the employer and training provider to gain the maximum results. However, the benefits an apprentice brings to a nursery setting are huge and that’s why apprenticeships will continue to thrive.’

Karen says she has no doubt that apprenticeships will continue to be a popular choice with employers. ‘Learning on the job allows them to gain valuable experience from day one of their programme. In addition, apprentices studying at Level 3 will be able to be counted as Level 2 practitioners – albeit only if the manager deems them to be competent.

‘I think it is important additional clarity is provided in this area and for the guidance to be standardised across the sector to ensure managers feel supported in making this judgement on competency. Now more than ever, particularly for us here at Realise, we have an amazing progression opportunity for anyone thinking of joining or rejoining the sector.

‘Level 2 apprentices also have a clear pathway to university now, which is something we haven’t had previously, and that is an extremely attractive proposition.

‘I also know that good progress is being made in bringing the Level 6 Early Years Teacher apprenticeship to fruition and, from what I hear, it looks likely to be approved. I’m a huge advocate of apprenticeships and their impact, so anything which broadens the offering can only be positive news in my eyes.’

OFFERING CHOICE

Early years isn’t a one-size-fits-all sector and there are lots of ways to progress and diversify a career. London Early Years Foundation has tackled this problem by expanding its apprenticeships to cover roles such as nursery chef, and central office apprenticeships, alongside a range of benefits including Oyster card travel discounts and a laptop lending scheme, which can be a huge help.

Meanwhile, Kids Planet nurseries have included sports coach traineeships, open to young people aged 19 to 24, to help prepare them for employment or an apprenticeship, and also to hopefully entice more male applicants into the early years workforce.

Diana Lawton adds, ‘The recent changes to apprenticeships are a lifeline for the sector.

‘At last, we have a change to legislation that is actually going to help us. Hopefully, these changes will meet the aspirations of early years professionals to support early years and see the sector rise up again.’

CASE STUDY: ‘I really want to help children’

Hibah Ahmed is studying for a Level 3 qualification through an apprenticeship at Edgbaston Nursery, Birmingham, part of the Storal nursery group. Hibah won the Nursery World Apprentice of the Year Award 2023. She says, ‘I’ve been at Edgbaston two years now, since I came here to start my Level 2, and I’ve been supported every step of the way.

‘This was actually my first job and I arrived with no experience. I applied to apprenticeship programme provider Swift childcare, as I was interested in studying through an apprenticeship, and they put me in touch with Edgbaston. I’ve found the whole experience very beneficial, the “earning and learning” process has been great for me.

‘I’m presently working on my Level 3 qualification through Storal, who are partnered with training company Realise. I was told it would be November 2024 before I finish the course, but that if I put in the work, anything is possible – I could be qualified by the middle of the year! So far the studying is going really well, although it’s not always easy to balance study with home life.

‘My work in the nursery involves all areas of early years learning, care and development.

I have six key children and plan for these daily, making sure this is based on their individual interests with a lot of input from parent partnerships. I’m also involved in ensuring all aspects of safeguarding and risk assessment are being covered, and anything and everything that takes place in the day-to-day running of a nursery.

‘I was so shocked to make the shortlist for the Nursery World award; I didn’t even think about winning – didn’t even entertain that thought! I’d never received that recognition before. Storal and my managers did have faith in me – lots more than I had in myself – and when I heard my name called at the awards, I was in shock! I was so pleased my team were also there to support me.

‘Thinking of the future, I want to stay in early years as I appreciate it’s importance in a child’s life. I remember my early years and how this was so important to me. I really want to help children, and the experience I’ve gained over the past two years has been invaluable. Maybe some time in the future I would like to work in a children’s hospital or maybe with vulnerable children.

‘I was initially really unsure if I wanted to go forward with a Level 3, so I asked everyone at Storal and they all said I would do really well, so I decided to go for it. I thought there was nothing to lose and a lot to gain in putting myself out there and doing my best.

‘When I started working here, I was the only apprentice, which was quite hard, as it’s always good to have others in the same situation to relate to, but there are two other apprentices here now, a Level 2 and a Level 3, and we all help and support each other.

‘I would definitely recommend the apprenticeship route. Earning while learning is a great help and the hands-on approach suits me – I wouldn’t want to be just sitting in college doing nothing but written work, although I am finding the writing ok and I sometimes get extra time to catch up on this at work, sitting with my assessor to go through everything – everyone’s very understanding. The apprenticeship route has given me a real head start in life and shown me that I can achieve a lot more than I thought I could.’

CASE STUDY: ‘Space to be yourself’

Dr Kath Dickinson is nursery manager at SEND to Learn, an inclusive nursery offering early years provision for children from nine months to five years, specialising in care for children with additional and complex medical needs. Its apprentice, Jack Bedder, who has ongoing health issues, won Nursery World’s Award for Apprentice of the Year 2022.

Kath says, ‘We find the apprentice system very helpful as it enables us to take a flexible approach, allowing us to provide the specific training and experiences our apprentices require. With us having a large percentage of children with SEND, we can provide valuable experiences for the apprentices in this field, while providing experiences with our mainstream children.

‘We can provide in-depth SEND training including profound and multiple learning difficulty (PMLD), or just an introduction to SEN if the apprentice is unsure about the route they want to take – we can provide a gentle introduction for those apprentices who find themselves outside of their comfort zone.

‘We follow the same approach with our prospective apprentices as we do with prospective staff and students; they have to stay for a session (normally three hours) where they get to spend time in all of our rooms so they can experience what we do, speak to staff, experience the challenges we face and how we work, and it gives them a chance to decide if our nursery experience is what they want.

‘They are also given the option of spending some time with our PMLD children, but with no pressure to work with this group as it’s very demanding and requires lots of further training, including medical training.

‘Our set-up allows us to take on apprentices with additional needs as systems are in place to accommodate staff with additional needs too – for example, finding the right type of apprenticeship method for them, such as online, college based, being flexible in working hours and off-the-job training, e.g., we might provide their off-the-job time in the middle of the week to give them a break. Also, by taking on an apprentice we can “mould” them to meet our needs. We gain a trained skilful member of staff who is happy to work with difference and accept the challenges it can present, while their programme still covers the same criteria as any other early years apprenticeship, and if we do not employ them at the end of their course, they leave with an added skill for other settings.

‘Speaking to Jack, he found the apprenticeship route through SEND to Learn very beneficial, as we were able to adapt to meet his needs in relation to his medical conditions. He has been able to bring his own personal experiences to our nursery and pass these onto staff, and use them to help with his interactions with children too. He feels that we have given him the opportunity to follow his dreams which he would not have been able to do going to a different setting.

‘I suppose the bottom line is, you have to find the right setting and staff for you, that makes you feel comfortable and secure and lets you be yourself.’