Starting this month, People and Business Development (PBD) Early Years Training is offering the incentive for all Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships undertaken in children's care, learning and development (CCLD) or playwork.Director Ross Midgley said he believed the employers' incentive scheme for apprenticeships was a first for the training sector.
'I expect it to be very popular. I think there are some incentives aimed at learner retention but I've not seen any aimed at employers. We have had lots of interest from nurseries where we are already running training.'
The £500 bonus is paid to the employer on completion of the apprenticeship, which is fully funded by the Learning and Skills Council. Apprenticeships which consist of an NVQ, underpinning knowledge and key skills in maths and English, must be completed within two years.
PBD has a contract with the LSC to run up to 300 apprenticeships this year. Mr Midgley said that the take-up of apprenticeships in early years was under-represented.
'We have been discussing with the LSC initiatives to increase the participation of 16- to 18-year-olds in the early years sector.'
He added, 'It isn't just a recruitment incentive. It's aimed at employers who already have 16-18s working for them.'
He also suggested that nurseries could choose to reward their staff for completing apprenticeships by offering to split the bonus with them.
PBD uses web-based 'e-portfolios' for NVQ evidence, which Mr Midgley said enabled learners to complete the exams faster than the paper-based method, because they can be accessed by learners and assessors more easily - at home or at work and anywhere with internet access.
Mr Midgley previously ran the Crocus group of nurseries with wife Alison, and sold them to Bright Horizons two years ago.
