A highly skilled early years workforce is critical if we are to combat inequality, help tackle poverty and improve the life chances of the most disadvantaged children. It's simply not good enough that the highest early achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds are overtaken by more well-off, lower achieving children by the age of five.
That's why I'm delighted to announce in my column that we will continue to invest funding in graduate programmes in 2011-12, and the CWDC will continue to deliver both the Early Years Professional Status and the New Leaders in Early Years programmes.
There are now more than 6,000 people with EYPS across the country and more than 4,000 currently in training. We know that graduate programmes are highly valued by those who have taken part, but also by the sector more widely. Indeed, a survey published this week by CWDC (see Analysis, p10) shows the EYPS programme helps to raise the status and confidence of graduate leaders who have achieved it.
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