Wales expands childcare training scheme

The Childcare Works project will be delivered by the National Day Nurseries Association Cymru and will train people aged 25 or over, providing them with supported placements in nursery for 16 weeks.

• £60m awarded to grow childcare in Wales
• Welsh government aims to end the disparity in childcare funding

The project will run until December 2020 and will train up to 84 people in 10 local authority areas in Wales.

The areas are: Conwy, Wrexham, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. 

NDNA Cymru is seeking applicants who are currently not in employment or education and who are interested in taking part in the project.

Childcare Works is part of the Welsh Government’s 10-year Childcare, Play and Early Years Workforce plan to professionalise the sector and encourage high quality new entrants.

It aims to give participants a chance to learn new vocational skills, in a supportive environment enabling them to take up further training, or an apprenticeship and pursue a future career in the early years and childcare.

The first phase ran in Flintshire and Wrexham. It trained 16 participants over the age of 50, most of whom have gone on to secure permanent employment within the early years and childcare sector.
 
The project also supports the Welsh government’s Employability Plan, launched last year to support people into work, while preparing the workforce for immediate and long term future challenges.

Economy minister Ken Skates and deputy minister for health and social services Julie Morgan launched the phase two of the Childcare Works at the Lullabyz Nursery in Newport.

Ms Morgan, said, ‘As a government we have made a significant investment to providing funded childcare to working parents of three- and four-year-olds across Wales.

‘The childcare sector is crucial to delivering this provision and employing a highly skilled and qualified professional workforce is vitally important, not only to support parents and carers to access employment but to support our youngest children’s learning and development.

'I’m delighted that alongside the economy minister we are able to give further funding to provide key introductory training to encourage more people to enter the sector and consider a future career in childcare. We want to encourage diversity across the sector and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to enter the sector.’

Mr Skates added, ‘Childcare is an essential part of the Welsh economy, providing a vital service in a foundational sector and ensuring our communities and the Welsh economy can prosper and parents and carers can access employment and training.
  
‘This project is one of a number of ways we, the Welsh Government, are looking to support investment into the childcare sector, supporting the sector to grow and become sustainable. 
‘We want to attract individuals with the right skills and personal attributes for working with young children to pursue a career in childcare.’

The project will also support the roll out of new Welsh childcare qualifications later this year, he said.

Purnima Tanuku, chief Executive of NDNA, said, ‘We are really pleased that the Welsh Government has given us the opportunity to roll out the Childcare Works project across the country.

‘This project encourages people to consider a career in early years and childcare while undertaking practical work placement opportunities within the sector. Participants are given ongoing support, providing a valuable skills platform for those wishing to embark upon a career within the childcare sector.’

The NDNA is also looking for nurseries across the ten local authority areas who can offer placements and would gain from an extra pair of hands.

Ms Tanuku added, ‘For them, it’s also a great opportunity to recruit new staff after seeing their work in practice with their children and the staff team over a three month period.’

• If you are interested in taking part as a nursery trainee, and live in any of the 10 local authority areas, visit ndna.org.uk/childcareworks or call the NDNA Cymru office on 01824 707823.