At the private Canterbury House Nursery School in Ashford, Mr Brown hailed the progress of 19-year-old Sarah Cook from New Deal applicant to full-time nursery assistant at the setting.
But how many childcare positions are being filled by New Deal candidates is unclear. A spokeswoman at the Department for Work and Pensions said, 'While we have a breakdown of figures for sectors like construction, we do not have the same for childcare.'
Karen Walker, network co-ordinator at the National Day Nurseries Association, said she welcomed the possibility of people coming into childcare via the New Deal. But she said the Government should not lose sight of the aim to create 'a well-trained, well-qualified and well-motivated childcare workforce'.
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