Opinion: In my view - A diploma for change

The muddled nature of early years qualifications has long caused headaches for employers, practitioners, parents and training providers. The sheer number of qualifications, alongside their varying breadths and depths, has led to confusion for those seeking employment and progression in early years and for employers when recruiting and supporting staff development.

Now change is here. The CWDC is addressing this problem and the reform of vocational learning across England provides the opportunity to do so. The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) brings us credits as the recognised 'currency' of learning, with practitioners achieving full qualifications through accumulating units and carrying learning across the workforce.

The new Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce, covering the early years, social care and learning and development support services sectors, will feature on the QCF. The Diploma will be available for new entrants to the early years sector from September 2010. Supporting this will be a Level 2 qualification that provides a stepping stone to Level 3. Both are being developed with the Government's ambition for a minimum Level 3 children and young people's workforce in mind.

It is important that we consider the benefits of the changes: clarity for employers, a rationalisation of qualifications, learning achieved through 'bite-sized' chunks, continuing professional development that gains credits to be banked, and enabling progression across the workforce.

There are timescale issues that are not yet fully resolved. But the early years sector is ahead of the game in responding to arrival of the QCF and the opportunities this brings - a good reflection of the 'can-do' attitude of this sector.

- Paul Ennals, chair of the Children's Workforce Development Council, www.cwdcouncil.org.uk.