Her expert panel is definitely worthy of the name, including such eminent early years figures as Wendy Scott, Julian Grenier, June O'Sullivan and Sue Robb.
Their task will not be an easy one, however. For a start, the call to strengthen qualifications and skills and to ensure progression routes has such a familiar ring to it. We have spent quite a few years undergoing a series of changes meant to do just this.
And yet we have ended up with what is still a byzantine system of courses and a need for checking on validity and ways to progress. Plus, we have a Level 3 Diploma intended to be the one course for everybody, but which seems to satisfy few.
Despite some caveats, the Early Years Professional Status has turned out to be a significant factor in improving qualification levels and skills, however.
One problem is the difficulty of getting agreement on the priorities from all the interested parties. It was interesting to see how nursery leaders voted on key factors for producing competent learners, put to them by CDWC's Pauline Jones at the Nursery World Business Summit.
They ranked quality of training provider and assessment above the actual content of qualifications.
Reviews of training and qualifications rarely take into account salary levels in the early years sector and how this limits change, so this must be looked at.
Meanwhile, turn to Training Today, with this issue of Nursery World, for a really useful guide to the current complex world of early years training and qualifications.
