Early years training is receiving a significant injection of cash following the launch of the 250m Transformation Fund, aimed at increasing the number of graduates in the sector and improving the qualifications of other staff.
The DfES is running regional training days for local authorities about the fund that also places a new responsibility on councils to manage and fund training, and to ensure that private, voluntary and independent sectors are fully involved.
Although the Transformation Fund was launched in April of this year, local government training teams do not expect to have their new programmes in place until the early autumn as there are still grey areas to be clarified and detailed information to collate.
In the meantime, councils are continuing to manage and fund NVQ training aimed at upgrading staff qualifications. 'We have been doing the analysis,'
says Sara Willis, early years team leader at Bath and North East Somerset Council.
'We are obviously having to do it in more detail than before. For example, we now need to know not just the number of providers who have staff with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), but the numbers of QTS there are in a setting and the number of staff who are currently training to level 5/foundation degree level.
'We already knew some of this as we have high numbers of QTS in this area, but now we need to know how this equates to each setting because only one will count per setting for the funding.
More guidance needed
Local training providers, particularly those who have a proven track record, will be key in delivering the Government's training targets. Often these providers are linked to private nursery chains.
'We offer training up to level 4,' says Zo Raven, managing director of the Acorn Childcare chain, which also runs a training and assessment centre.
'But it is up to the colleges to cover the teaching qualifications.
'We have worked well with our local council in Milton Keynes through the Early Years Partnership over the years and have been involved with it on training programmes.'
With this track record, Ms Raven is keen to have practical guidance on the Transformation Fund. 'So far we have had zero information,' she says.
'There have been bursaries available from the council for people doing level 4 courses but I have heard nothing about whether that is going to be increased.'
Training providers are reluctant to criticise their local councils openly because as one says, 'Our local council is the hand that feeds us and, if we are not careful, it could also be the hand that strangles us.'
However, a council workforce training manager says, 'People are always interested in training, but mention the Transformation Fund to providers and their eyes glaze over. There is no understanding of it at the moment.'
Raising standards
Neil King, staff development manager at the Westminster Children's Society, has a more positive spin on it. 'We should be clear that the Transformation Fund is great news for the early years sector,' he says.
'It will both help raise the standards of training and bring greater recognition to the profession.
'But the quick transition on this scale is always going to be difficult. In an ideal world the local authorities would sit down with providers like ourselves and say, "We have this money. What do you need? How can we best spend it together for the good of the children in this area?"'
Despite the time pressures, Mr King believes the Transformation Fund provides a great chance to raise standards across the board, in line with Every Child Matters. 'Some authorities have more than 3m,' he says.
'That is a lot of money and a real opportunity to make a big impact - quickly.'
Case study: Willows Training, St Helens
Willows Training has become a leading trainer in north-west England, delivering City & Guilds' NVQ professional qualifications Levels 2-4 to childcarers nationwide.
Willows, which was founded in 1996 as a spin-off from its sister company, the long-established Wind in the Willows PDN nursery chain, has been delivering training for St Helens, Sefton, Manchester, Knowsley, Cheshire and Halton councils.
Ginny Taylor, a co-director of Willows, says, 'All the local authorities to date have been very co-operative with excellent accounts processes. They have been very helpful in distributing information to those wishing to undertake NVQs in childcare.
'Although the Transformation Fund was allocated in February and each authority was informed of how much they would receive, many issues have arisen that have prevented this funding being used.
'The problem appears to be that despite having the money available there is still uncertainty about how the funds will be split across the different NVQ levels and how the candidates will access them.
'Another hurdle has been the apparent low awareness of the real requirements of what is in the training programmes. Some authorities, none of those with whom we work, are price driven rather than quality driven and sometimes issues, such as the need for assessor continuity and flexibility, are overlooked.'
While Ms Taylor believes a pro-active approach has been useful, she sees the demise of some EYDCPs (Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships) as a problem. 'I sat as the private-sector representative on the EYDCP in St Helens, but since the partnership wound up, we have heard nothing. Then we had the local elections and there are a lot of councils now with no party in overall control. There is a need for clarification on who exactly will be organising training in this situation.
'Everybody across the childcare sector is looking for training. From 2008, people who are managing daycare settings have got to have Level 4 qualifications or the equivalent. So people are looking to upgrade their Level 3 awards.'
Willows provides its training in-house for clients. Ms Taylor says, 'When we go to a setting there may be just one or two candidates, but we will spend all day with them doing observations and assessments.'
Gill Parr, who manages the childcare provision at the Haydock Children's Centre in St Helens, is taking a Level 4 qualification in Children's Care, Learning and Development with Willows.
'I started about three months ago and it is going really well,' she says.
'The sessions there are helpful because I'm not interrupted. We have also had workshops where we can all support each other.'
Further information
Transformation Fund guidance is at www. everychildmatters.gov.uk
