Employing an apprentice can have long-term benefits for a nursery, as Kingscliffe Day Nursery in Leicestershire readily testifies.
Manager Alexis McConnachie says, 'Apprenticeship programmes have enabled us to retain key members of staff and help them to move into senior positions. For example, Forida Chowdhury started off as an apprentice and is now a manager. They are an excellent way of bringing young people into a childcare career, which is very important as older people retire or move on.'
For Ms McConnachie it has made sense to nurture home-grown talent at her 32-place nursery, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary.
'When we have tried to recruit quality staff from other nurseries it hasn't worked particularly well. We would rather train someone up to our own standards from the start,' she says.
'The beauty of apprenticeships is that they give individuals an opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and understanding in one go. And in the current climate they are an effective way of securing employment - which may not always be guaranteed for those students coming out of college.'
Forida Chowdhury says that after doing her A levels she did not want to go to university and taking an apprenticeship in 2001 represented a quick route to level 3 and a way of getting into a career, rather than just a job.
'With responsibility came opportunity and I moved to roles such as room leader, deputy manager and operations manager,' she says. 'I am currently working towards level 4 and would eventually like to achieve a foundation degree and progress to EYPS.'
Kingscliffe Day Nursery works closely with local schools and colleges and offers work experience.
Laura Fletcher started her level 2 apprenticeship four months ago and is enjoying the assessment process. 'Ever since I was in Year 10 at school I have been coming here every Friday for work experience, and around the time of GCSEs I was offered a full-time job,' she says. 'I saw it as a good opportunity.
'I work mainly in the baby room but I am being assessed on activities throughout the nursery. There is quite a lot of written work to do, but I get a lot of support and already feel settled in.'
Meanwhile Ms McConnachie recognises that nurseries need to maintain local links to get the most out of apprenticeships. 'A lot of our apprentices come to us through word of mouth, and we enjoy that sense of community,' she says.
Further information
Apprenticeships in Children's Care, Learning and Development are available at level 2 and level 3. Both provide key skills in communication and application of number, a technical certificate and a paediatric first aid certificate.
www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/apprenticeships
