'What is clear is that the quality of early years services is paramount in Next Steps,' he says. 'The focus is on graduate leadership and raising more practitioners to level 3, and CWDC has a clear remit to lead this drive.'
Proposals set out in Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare - Building on the Ten-Year Strategy include considering making it a legal requirement for all full- daycare settings to have a graduate by 2015 and all early years staff to have a full and relevant qualification of at least level 3 by 2015. There is also a commitment to explore how to attract top graduates into the sector, drawing on the lessons learned from the Teach First programme in schools.
Mr Crabbe says, 'More will be said by DCSF in coming months about a top graduate model, but the Teach First programme demonstrates how high calibre graduates can be attracted to work in the field of child development, learning and well-being.'
'Our EYPS recruitment drive is creating the right environment to attract both career changer graduates and new graduates as well as those progressing their careers within the early years sector profile and as the numbers steadily increase this will gather momentum. The Graduate Leader Fund is there to improve pay and retention of graduate practitioners.
EYPs by numbers
Currently on the pathways - 2,500
Qualified EYPs - 2,886
