Routes into careers in early years and childcare

Apprenticeships are a great route into early years and childcare at any age. They combine work with training and study, so you can start work now and get a qualification whilst on the job. You will get at least 20 days paid holiday a year and apprentices earn while they learn and have no tuition fees!

Apprenticeships normally take between 12 and 18 months to complete and you will be expected to complete 20% of your working hours in off-the-job training. You then practice your new skills in work and you will be supported all the way through too.

Staff in your setting will supervise and guide your practice and your training provider will support you as you complete regular assessments.

Is an apprenticeship for you?

Some things to think about that might help you decide if an apprenticeship is the right entry pathway for you are:

• to apply for an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be 16 or older, not in full-time education and live in England
• you will need to balance work, life and study - those assessments will not write themselves
• your salary as an apprentice may be lower than your qualified colleagues, but you are entitled to the apprentice minimum wage and once you have completed your first year, if you are over 19, you will get the National Minimum Wage for your age
• ideally you will have got a grade 4 or above in GCSE maths and GCSE English - if not do not worry, as Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English will be built into your apprenticeship

Here is what some current West Sussex apprentices and staff who qualified as apprentices say about their experiences:

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The two entry-level early years apprenticeships are:

• early years practitioner (level 2) apprenticeship (equivalent to GCSEs)
• early years educator (level 3) apprenticeship (equivalent to A levels)

Both are suitable for those who have no previous experience, but Level 2 may be more suitable for those leaving school at 16. The qualification will allow you to work in an early years setting under supervision, supporting the planning and delivery of education and care for 0-5 year olds. It is an excellent entry point into the sector.

The Level 3 qualification may be more suitable for those who want to plan, organise and lead enriching learning activities and perhaps supervise others. At this level you can be counted in staff numbers, which is something employers will be looking for.

If you want to work in out of school childcare, the Playworker (level 2) apprenticeship is ideal. You will learn how to care for and support children in taking responsibility for themselves and their own play whilst creating a stimulating and adventurous space for children to learn and explore.

How to find an apprenticeship

There are different places you can start looking for an apprenticeship. If you see a job in an early years and childcare setting that you like and it does not say ‘must hold Level 3’ you can always ask if they would consider taking you on as an apprentice.

The government is working to make finding jobs in early years and childcare easier. Consider using Find a Job and remember to use the filters to find apprenticeships near you (apprenticeships come under the filter ‘Contract Type’).

The government also has a find an apprenticeship service that you can use. Use the filters to refine your search.

We are offering early years and childcare providers the opportunity to advertise vacancies on its partnership job search page. Search by putting ‘early years’ or ‘out of school childcare’ in the search bar.

We suggest that you follow the West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Training Facebook page where providers also advertise vacancies.

Lots of early years and childcare providers advertise vacancies on Indeed - you can sign up for job alerts too.

Finally, most settings will have a web page and list their vacancies. You can look up the settings you are interested in and see if they have any vacancies, or send them a CV and covering letter saying you are looking for an apprenticeship... you never know, you might be just who they have been looking for!

If you want to get a qualification by completing a classroom-based course, you will need to find yourself a training provider. Luckily in West Sussex we have several colleges offering early years and childcare qualifications.

The government are currently reviewing early years and childcare qualifications, but these colleges are all offering the L3 T Level in Education and Early Years (also called L3 T Level in Education and Childcare). There are no tuition fees to study a T Level, as long as you start the course before you are 19.

• Brighton Metropolitan College
• Chichester College
• Crawley College
• Haywards Heath College
• Northbrook College, Worthing
• Collyer’s College, Horsham

You can also look at training providers that offer online learning, but you need to make sure that they offer work-based placements, avoiding courses that offer a ‘knowledge only pathway’. A top tip is to look at the training provider’s Ofsted rating - they are inspected too, so look for ones that are good and outstanding.

If you are doing an early years course, always check the qualification you get at the end is ‘full and relevant’.

Other qualifications that might be on offer are:

• level 2 Diploma Early Years Practitioner
• level 3 Diploma in Playwork

 

If you are leaving school with A levels or you are a career changer, you might want to consider a degree in early childhood education and care.

If you want to work in early years and childcare, it is really important to check that the degree is recognised as full and relevant - this means that it must have an element of assessed practice in an early years setting.

We recommend getting some work experience in a setting to make sure that a career in early years and childcare is for you before starting an early years degree. Because tuition fees are a significant investment, it is important to choose a university course that aligns with your career goals.

So, you are already working in early years and childcare, or have had a career break and are looking to return. What are your options for career progression?

Apprenticeships

If you are already working in an early years and childcare setting as an unqualified member of staff or as a member of staff with a level 2 qualification, you can talk to your manager about undertaking an apprenticeship to upskill.

If you have a level 3 qualification, you could consider the early years lead practitioner (level 5) apprenticeship. It takes 2 years to complete and is funded, so a great development opportunity for those wanting to further their career whilst working.

Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)

If you like to be responsible for organising and leading high quality teaching in early years settings, you could think about becoming an Early Years Teacher. You can do this by:

• undergraduate training, which involves taking a degree in an early childhood related subject leading to EYTS - you would need to fund this route yourself
• postgraduate training, which is for those of you who already have an early years degree - there are 2 postgraduate routes, both with funding from the Department for Education (DfE), making this an attractive option

Visit Become an Early Years Teacher to find out more, including funding opportunities and DfE approved training providers.

Early Years Leadership National Professional Qualification

If you are a current or aspiring leader, hold a full and relevant level 3 qualification and have lots of experience, you might want to take an Early Years Leadership National Professional Qualification. The course takes 18 months to complete and involves approximately 2 hours of study each week. It is a mix of self-study and group sessions, involves a written assessment and will enable you to:

• establish and sustain your settings strategic direction
• develop an evidence-based teaching culture
• plan and deliver care and a high-quality curriculum to support child development
• implement communication, language and literacy approaches to support children’s learning
• effectively manage children’s behaviour and support children’s personal, social and emotional development
• ensure all leaders, practitioners and teachers can identify any additional needs early and ensure appropriate referrals
• prioritise, allocate and manage resources appropriately, effectively and efficiently across all settings to ensure sustainability
• ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk
• plan and execute implementation of what you’ve learned

Visit GOV.UK to find out more, including funding opportunities and DfE approved training providers.

What some of our current West Sussex graduates say about their experiences:

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