Five months into the new NVQ Level 4 in Early Years Care and Education, Lynn Cardrick says, 'It's nice to be in on something at the ground floor and be one of the first to complete.'
She and her 15 classmates at Chiltern Training comprise part of the first intake of practitioners on the new course, launched last September in response to a gap in training created by the rapid expansion and growing professionalism of the early years sector.
Jackie Richards, product manager at City & Guilds, one of the awarding bodies, says, 'The sector very much wanted a qualification on this level. It is a recognition of professionalism and also that the whole early years sector, while predominantly made up of small organisations, is becoming more complex, with more specialised practitioners.' Level 4 is a senior award, and students going further with study could be looking towards a BA degree or more generic management qualification. The Level 4 award will count as a credit into higher level study so it provides a route to teaching, social work, health and care.
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