All early years staff 'could need level 3', says White Paper

The New Opportunities white paper unveiled by the Government last week says the quality of provision is 'critical' and raising the skills of the workforce is key to improving quality.

'We want every person involved in providing childcare and early learning provision to young children to have a good minimum qualification,' says the paper. 'We will therefore consider making it a requirement that all practitioners have a full and relevant qualification of at least level 3 (equivalent to A levels) by 2015.'

Currently, every senior manager working in daycare, sessional care or out-of-school clubs should hold at least a level 3 qualification, and all supervisors in full daycare should have a minimum of level 3 or be working towards it. Half of other staff must have level 2.

The white paper also reiterates that the Government is considering making it a requirement for all full daycare settings to be graduate-led by 2015, as outlined in the 2020 Children and Young People Workforce Strategy, published in December.

According to figures from the DCSF, qualification levels are rising but there is still a long way to go before all early years and childcare staff are qualified to level 3.

Richard Dorrance, chief executive of the Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education, said he was concerned that there had been 'no analysis of what impact these proposals will have on the workforce, and also the training providers who will need to deliver the level 3 qualifications.

'At present, over half of the current workforce do not hold a full level 3 qualification, and it can take a learner 12 months or more to progress from a level 2 and successfully achieve at level 3.

'However, we envisage that such seemingly tight timescales for implementation of the Government proposals would result in unnecessary pressure and stress to learners and training providers alike.'

Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said early years workers were 'hungry' for qualifications but the question of low pay could no longer be ignored. He said that with the extension of the free early years entitlement and other Government initiatives, pay could not be solely determined by providers.

Pauline Jones, national programme manager for early years at CWDC, said she welcomed the prospect of raising the minimum standard to level 3.

Further information: New Opportunities White Paper.