Briefing: On-the-job learning for childcare

Under Department for Education guidance, a new route into the childcare profession has been created that recognises on-the-job experience for workers who are not qualified to early years educator (EYE) level 3 standard.

The experience-based route (EBR) into the profession is one of several changes to childcare qualifications designed to boost the workforce in advance of the ongoing expansion of the funded childcare entitlement, set for full rollout later this year.

By September 2025, working parents will be able to claim 30 hours of government-funded childcare a week for children aged nine months up to their child starting school.

However, this expansion comes as early years providers face challenges recruiting and retaining staff amid ongoing concerns about low pay and lack of funding in the sector. Vacancies were more than double pre-Covid levels last year, according to the Recruitment and Employment Federation's Labour Market Tracker. This in turn has affected councils' confidence in delivering the reforms with 90% unsure there will be enough places in their area to meet demand when surveyed by Coram last summer.