Earlier this year, the government published its long-awaited early years workforce strategy. The sector welcomed the decision to scrap the need for Level 3-qualified staff to hold GCSEs in English and Maths from April 2017, a move practitioners had been campaigning for since the requirement was introduced in 2014.
The need for GCSEs caused the numbers of students enrolling on Level 3 courses to plummet in 2015/16 and 2016/17, and caused problems around recruiting appropriately qualified staff. Functional skills qualifications will now have the same standing as GCSEs for those gaining Level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) qualifications, including apprenticeships.
Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) was introduced in 2013 in an attempt to create a graduate-led workforce. There are four routes into EYTS, lasting from three months to three years, depending on participants' existing experience and qualifications. The government has said it intends to review those routes in 2017.
There were 654 new entrants to Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) in 2016/2017 - 93 per cent started on a postgraduate route and seven per cent on an undergraduate route. Of the postgraduate trainees, 76 per cent started on the graduate employment-based route, and 24 per cent on the graduate entry route. Sixty-two per cent of new entrants to postgraduate EYITT held a 2:1 or higher degree class.
EYTS is considered the equivalent of Qualified Teacher Status, but does not bring equivalent pay. Holders cannot currently lead nursery or reception classes in maintained primary schools, although they can act as pedagogical leaders in free schools, academies and private, voluntary and independent early education settings. The government intends to consult on proposals to allow practitioners with EYTS and its predecessor Early Years Professional Status to lead reception and maintained nursery classes in primary schools.
Some in the sector find this concerning. "We struggle to retain our early years professionals and early years teachers, and this will make that situation worse" says Stella Ziolkowski, director of quality and workforce development at the National Day Nurseries Association. "As a sector, we can't match terms and conditions of teaching salaries."
The government is looking into developing a programme to grow the graduate workforce in disadvantaged areas, with a feasibility study set to report in 2018. The strategy also commits the government, along with the wider sector, to develop new criteria for Level 2 qualifications. New qualifications are expected to be available from September 2019.
To improve opportunities for career progression in the early years, the government plans to promote a series of events at schools and colleges, as well as updating careers advice through the National Careers Service to reflect the wide range of roles in the sector. The government will also work with the National Apprenticeship Service to raise awareness of early years apprenticeships, including funding and recruitment support systems.
New Apprenticeship Standards are being developed in England that will, ultimately, replace the current frameworks. A group of nursery providers, led by nursery chain Busy Bees, is currently developing standards for a new Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship. A consultation on the standards closed in May and further consultations are to be held to develop frameworks for Level 5 and 6 EYE apprenticeship standards.
The early years workforce is overwhelmingly female, and a group of stakeholders has been set up to consider gender diversity in the sector. The group will report by the end of 2017. The government is also set to publish guidance for local authorities and early years providers on how an inclusion fund and a targeted disability access fund can be used to support workforce development and specialist training in special educational needs and disability (SEND). During 2018, it will develop a qualification for early years staff who want to specialise in SEND.
According to the National Day Nursery Association's latest survey of members, increasing staff wages and recruiting staff are the two top challenges reported by nurseries. It found an increasing number of nurseries report they may be driven to employ a younger, less-qualified workforce to control payroll costs.
Read more from CYP Now's Children's Workforce Guide to Qualifications and Training
