Nursery World - Funding crisis hits work-based childcare training

Childcare training providers are warning that up to 15,000 people applying for childcare work-based courses and apprenticeships from 1 August will not get a place.

The Learning and Skills Council, which distributes funding for further education training, has informed providers it will have to cap the number of apprenticeships and workplace training places it funds, due to severe overspend.

As Nursery World went to press it was expected that shadow skills secretary David Willetts would raise the issue in the House of Commons on Monday.

Childcare training providers were told earlier this year, in line with Government policy, to increase the amount of training they offered.

Kate Stock, managing director of Smart Training, one of the largest childcare NVQ training companies, said, 'All the providers have been under enormous pressure to provide more training. We have all responded and now the LSC has said, "oops, we have run out of money, as we have overspent".'

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