The campaign to drive up standards in the early years sector is continuing apace despite the financial difficulties facing providers due to the recession.
While strategic initiatives have been amended in other policy areas in response to the worsening economic climate, the Government is committed to achieving its vision of an early years profession of well-qualified staff, led by specialist graduates, to improve outcomes for future generations.
To reach this goal, a major programme is underway to rationalise qualifications and ensure they equip the workforce to deliver the new Early Years Foundation Stage effectively.
Pauline Jones, senior programme manager for early years at the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC), says, 'As the sector skills council for the children's workforce, which includes the early years, the CWDC has to ensure that the new qualifications and credit framework (QCF) is populated with appropriate qualifications for our workforce.
'To this end, we are planning to develop a new Level 3 qualification to be entered on to the QCF. Key delivery partners and stakeholders are actively involved in the principles for development of the children and young people's workforce Level 3 diploma.'
The CWDC is working to a tight timetable set by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for qualifications to be added to the new framework.
It is also remitted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to review the common core of skills and knowledge for the children's workforce, which Ms Jones says will influence the development of the new qualification.
The timetable is:
- April to September 2009 - project planning and collaboration with our partners and stakeholders across the wider children's workforce
- September to December 2009 - developing the units.
- January to September 2010 - promoting the qualifications.
- September 2010 - new qualifications available for enrolment.
Forthcoming changes
There has been some concern voiced that the sector is not widely aware of the forthcoming changes, but Ms Jones says, 'Research was commissioned by the CWDC to explore sector feedback on its programme of work and the effectiveness of support. This identified that 88 per cent of settings were aware of the CWDC's qualifications list for those delivering the EYFS.'
Employers at settings delivering the EYFS are required to ensure that their staff hold a 'full and relevant' qualification. Following a review of more than 300 awards, the CWDC published on its website last autumn a qualifications list which will come into effect this September.
In the interim, early years workers have been able to access the online list as well as a telephone helpline to find out whether their qualifi- cations are deemed to be 'full and relevant' or if they need to undertake further training.
Clarification needed
Although some training organisations report anecdotal evidence of practitioners being confused and bemused by the list, Ms Jones says the CWDC has statistics showing it has been widely used.
'The list is supported by a dedicated helpline which provides information, advice and guidance to those using the list and interpreting the information.
'The helpline handles between 360 and 600 calls per week.'
She reports that when the qualifications list was launched there were approximately 300 of them mapped and held within the database. Currently there are 411.
The CWDC says a significant volume of searches have been made using the online tool, with data being recorded on a monthly basis.
'The highest recorded activity was in November 2008 with 38,606 hits, which has now reduced to 18,029 in April 2009,' says Ms Jones.
Gill Mason, childcare adviser for awarding body City & Guilds, points out that some of the older qualifications are not on the 'ready reckoner'.
'Sometimes people are not clear about what they need to do, but we ask our centres to check on people's qualifications and help them work out their progression routes and what continuing professional development they need,' she says.
Independent trainer and Early Years Professional assessor Kathy Brodie believes that some managers are having difficulty carrying out the qualifications audits.
'Partly this is because there is high staff turnover in the sector, but also it can be hard to find people's qualifications on the list.
'I have a specialist teaching assistant award that is a Level 3 equivalent and last time I looked it was not on the list,' she says.
Accreditation of prior learning is vital
At the National Day Nurseries Association, chief executive Purnima Takunu says clarification is vital.
'Nurseries are mostly aware of the development in qualifications,' she says. 'However, in our experience a significant number have not yet logged on to the online database to see if their staff require any further development.
'Although nursery managers and owners are certainly aware, clarification is still needed on what will happen in terms of staff ratios if an individual does not have a "full and relevant" qualification.
'It is also important to clarify where financial support can be accessed to help staff develop to the required level. It is especially important that those staff who have a wealth of experience, and for whom further education is not a desired option, can have their significant knowledge recognised through accreditation of prior learning.'
She adds, 'The NDNA believes the rationalisation of qualifications is a major development, and something which will require extensive consultation with the sector. There are a range of Level 3 qualifications out there at the moment. While we understand the approach to reducing the number of qualifications, it is important that this is managed carefully and receives the input of the sector.'
Ms Tanuku recognises there are many well-skilled, experienced and passionate practitioners who may not feel that formal learning is appropriate. 'It is therefore essential that any potential single qualification has a variety of routes available to achievement, including accreditation of prior learning and a high level of work-based learning activity.
'It is vital that we retain the existing well-skilled workforce.'
Ms Mason says City & Guilds welcomes the fact that the CWDC is raising the profile of the workforce.
'We want to make sure that the steps are in place and the progression routes are clear so that people see them as attainable,' she says.
'We are getting quite a few returnees coming back into the workforce and while they might have had a lot of experience, they do not want to be put off by having to take a qualification which they see as so huge it is unachievable.'
The Higher Professional Diploma has been developed by City & Guilds to bridge the gap between Levels 3 and 4.
'We want to make it attainable and also count as the first year of a foundation degree,' says Ms Mason.
Kathy Brodie believes there is a growing awareness of the changing qualifications landscape - 'But in general nurseries are thinking 2015 is millennia away,' she says. 'And if they are going to have to get an EYP in place by then - and they have somebody at Level 3 now - unless they get it rolling they will not get that person through by 2015.
'There is a three-year degree course after which most people like to have a breather before embarking on becoming an EYP. I don't think people have worked out how short the timescale actually is.'
She also reports a worrying lack of understanding about EYPs. 'We did a promotion at Trafford Park aimed at parents, but about 50 per cent of the people who asked us about the campaign were early years practitioners who didn't know what an EYP was.'
A further problem is that while general staff vacancies in a sector notorious for its high turnover are down to 3.4 per cent, according to the latest workforce survey conducted by Laing and Buisson with the NDNA, Ms Tanuku says employers struggle to retain their senior practitioners.
A third of nurseries also report they have lost staff to higher-paid maintained settings such as children's centres.
'As the recession deepens and nurseries have to keep an even tighter rein on parental fees, it will be even harder to reward higher-qualified staff, and the NDNA believes it is more important than ever to look at ensuring government investment reaches providers to help achieve the workforce vision.'
CASE STUDY: LEANNE ALMOND
When Leanne Almond joined the Children's House in Stallingborough, Grimsby, on work placement as a modern apprentice taking NVQ Level 2 in 2006, she worked at the nursery four days a week and spent the fifth day at college.
She has since joined the nursery full time, taken a Level 3 and become a key worker on the setting's new site, supporting the birth to three unit leader.
'They made me feel part of the team from day one and that made me want to stay here and work my way up. I want to take my NVQ 4 as I want to advance in my career and get some more qualifications and strengthen my skills.
'I haven't any problems with working and studying as I have plenty of time outside work, so I manage to balance it. I want to keep moving up and would like to end up in a management role. I would still want to be hands-on with the children as I have always wanted to work in childcare, but I know now that I also want to get into management.
'I think eventually I will end up taking a foundation degree. I have seen how other people have moved up here and I want to do the same.'
CASE STUDY: DAVID WRIGHT
David Wright, an Early Years Professional who, with his wife Anna, runs the Paint Pots nursery chain in Southampton, says the staff at their four nurseries have used the CWDC online ready reckoner to check their qualifications.
'We have done a qualifications audit. People checked online and it was quite easy to do. Our managers have re-validated everyone's qualifications. The CWDC's "full and relevant" qualifications list is currently not a big issue for us as virtually everyone is unaffected. Most of our staff are at Level 3 already or working towards it. We have two staff members who have not got full and relevant qualifications.
'I understand where the Government is coming from in that it wants to set a bar and have everybody over that level, but if it is saying that everybody has to be over Level 3 to be included in the numbers, what happens to the people who are maybe not academic in that sense?
'We have a retired lady who comes in and cuddles babies. She is happy to learn about the EYFS and takes books home with her to read but she is not going to embark on an NVQ. I think there should still be a place for somebody to come in and provide nurture, and a place for you to grow your own apprentices. If you are going to have a graduate-led workforce and you want people qualified to Level 3 and above, you are still going to have some Level 2 and unqualified people in that mix.'
CASE STUDY: NICKY WILSON
Nicky Wilson joined the Kiddi Caru Nursery in Torquay as a Modern Apprentice in November 2007 when she was taking her NVQ 2. 'I completed my Level 2 and I have just started on the Level 3. I am studying online which is great because I can work at home whenever I need to and I haven't got to spend a day at college.
'I won't just stop when I've got the Level 3. It is good the way you can keep going with your qualifications. Hopefully, one day I will become a manager. I am going to keep working my way up. I want to get as much experience as I can and if a course comes up, I'll go on it. I am interested in special needs and would like to become a SENCO. I will look into that when I have finished my Level 3. Eventually I would like to do a foundation degree.
'When I came into childcare I didn't realise I would be able to go so far or have these opportunities.
'I never would have thought that the chance to get a degree would have been open to me. I didn't go to university after leaving school, but now I will be able to work my way up to degree level. For people who have not had the chance to go to university or college, this is an ideal solution.'
CASE STUDY: JO HEXT
When Jo Hext left school three years ago she did not envisage herself becoming a graduate, but after making swift progress up the early years qualifications ladder she is about to embark on a degree course.
'Since I left school I have set myself realistic goals. So first of all I got my Level 2 in a year. The second year I took the next step and got my Level 3, and then this year I have just achieved Level 4.
'The further I have gone the more I have raised my expectations,' says Jo, 19, who is room leader of the birth-to-twos room at Puffins Sowton nursery in Exeter. 'When I started I just aimed to get my Level 2 in the year, but as I progressed I have been able to take on more challenges.
'I was looking for something more to do and our operations director suggested a short psychology course with the Open University to get used to doing academic assignments. I found it quite challenging at first as I had not done anything like this before. My nursery manager is doing an OU degree so she was able to go through with me how to write an assignment.
'I am hoping to start an OU childcare degree in September. My Level 4 will count towards it and I am going to sit down soon and work out my action plan.
'If I get my degree, I then want to look at gaining EYP Status.'
