Training Special: A transformation in early years training

Ambition is a trait that childcare trainee Stacey Marsh has in abundance.

Marsh, who last year started as a nursery assistant at the Busy Bees nursery in Lancaster as well as studying for her Level 2 course in childcare learning and development, aspires to "go as far as I can in childcare."

"I don't want to stop with my Level 2. I'm enrolling to take the Level 3 diploma next term and want to keep going. My manager has just completed her Level 6 and that's what I want to do as well one day," she says.

Marsh is the kind of student that the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has in mind with its changes to childcare training that come into force in September.

Clearer career path

The CWDC changes aim to slim down the number of courses to create a clearer career path and make it easier for workers to progress. The aspiration, laid out in 2008's 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy, is for all childcare workers to be trained to at least Level 3, the equivalent of an A level, and for more graduates to enter the sector.

Among the changes taking place in September will be the creation of a Level 2 certificate for early years, social care and learning development support services, which aims to be a stepping stone to a new Level 3 diploma. Both the new Level 2 certificate and Level 3 diploma will eventually replace the existing plethora of childcare courses.

But while many providers and childcare experts welcome the focus on improving skills, the changes have been beset with criticism. Fay Gibbin, Busy Bees' training operations manager, says the CWDC has not properly taken into account that not all childcare workers are as ambitious as Marsh.

"There are some on Level 2 who are happy at that level, but now the CWDC is saying that's just a stepping stone," says Gibbin, adding: "Where does that leave them? Do they have a future in the sector?"

Busy Bees is also among those in the sector who are disappointed not to see a Level 4 qualification developed by CWDC. Gibbin says this could provide a good middle ground between Level 3 and a foundation degree course for those wanting managerial experience but not necessarily to degree level. "There is also a big gap between Level 3 and degree and this would help bridge that," she adds.

The cost implications of boosting childcare workers' qualifications have also not been fully considered, says Gibbin. "Where will the money come from to pay staff more? Parents certainly can't afford larger fees."

Difficult decision

What may help cash-strapped nurseries and those happy to remain at Level 2 could be for the sector to effectively ignore the CWDC requirement.

"At the moment, having all staff at Level 3 is just an aspiration and not mandatory. This could save us," says Gibbin, although she concedes this would place providers and staff in a difficult position.

Stella Ziolkowski, director of quality and workforce development at National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), believes the changes coming in this September have been poorly handled and lays the blame squarely at the CWDC.

She says: "There's no clarity. It leaves the sector confused and with a number of unanswered questions, such as what will happen to more mature workers and summer staff who want to remain on Level 2? Will it eventually be illegal for them to work?

"What about funding for nurseries to pay for more qualified staff? There are grants, but there's not enough money to go around and what grants exist aren't being well promoted."

She also describes the state of training in the sector as being in limbo, "as if everyone is waiting around for someone to guide them, but no one is. The CWDC needs to be taking the lead and it isn't," she says, adding: "This confusion is stalling career progression, when the aim is to improve it."

The NDNA has held talks with the CWDC over the changes in September, but "it's gone very quiet in recent months", says Ziolkowski.

Qualification body Cache received some welcome clarity last month when its new Level 3 diploma for childcare workers was approved by regulator Ofqual. It is now ready to recruit this summer and start the course in September.

However, the transition from the existing Level 3 and Level 2 certificates to the new courses is far from smooth. Both new and old courses will have to run alongside each other from September.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Daycare Trust, describes the changeover as "confused". She says: "At this stage, we don't even know what the content of some of the new courses will be, so it makes it very difficult to see whether work carried out by students on existing courses will count towards the new courses."

Sense of confusion

The government must also shoulder some blame for the current sense of confusion, argues Garnham. She says: "Staff will quite rightly expect more money. That should not be a surprise, but the government's national subsidy has failed to take that into account and providers may have no alternative but to increase fees."

Gill Mason, community and society adviser at qualification body City & Guilds, questions why the changes were not piloted. "I support upgrading the workforce and improving the skill level, but it is a big change for the sector and perhaps should have been carried out in stages. A pilot would have helped."

Linda Baston-Pitt, who sits on the CWDC members' group, admits "there have been teething problems". "For example, we may not know until September what will be happening with playwork training," she says.

But she urges the sector not to let the unanswered questions facing training "distract from the fact we are moving in the right direction", in terms of standardising the number of courses and aspiring to improve the skill level of workers.

She is particularly pleased that the new Level 3 diploma is set to put a greater emphasis on child health and wellbeing. "That is something that has been lacking," says Baston-Pitt. "Training had been very education focused, looking at issues such as numeracy, rather than the child as a whole, their wellbeing and issues such as nutrition."

Much of the controversy surrounding the changes to childcare training has passed Marsh by. She is still optimistic about her career progression and feels she knows enough about the new Level 3 diploma to be confident that it will improve her skills.

"I've been happy with the training and I've been lucky here as the manager has taken time to explain about the diploma and so far it looks good."

She also agrees with Baston-Pitt that the heightened focus on well-being is welcome. "It's good that it will look at all parts of a child's life. Their wellbeing is probably the most important aspect of the job and should be a priority in training."

Trainee Sean Roberts finds training has helped him understand the role better

For Sean Roberts, learning the simple, practical skills of childcare, such as picking up a child, has been among the most useful aspects of his NVQ Level 2 in childcare, learning and development.

As the only male childcare worker at the Friend's Day Nursery in Guildford, the 18-year-old trainee is often the one children turn to for more adventurous play.

"The children look at me in a different way. I'm more inclined to get dirty and muddy with them. I'm also the one who's more likely to pick them up above my head, so it has been important to know how to lift them correctly," he says.

Surrey County Council launched a recruitment campaign last month aimed at encouraging more men to follow Roberts into a childcare career.

The aim is to improve on its 3.5 per cent rate of male childcare workers in the area, which is low but better than most areas, as the national average is 2 per cent.

Julie Page, the council's early years and childcare workforce development service manager, says: "Encouraging men to work in childcare is something that has been driven by parents.

"There are increasing number of families without male role models and having men working at nurseries is something they told us they wanted. We also want it as we want our workforce to be more reflective of society."

Roberts is hoping to take his Level 3 children and young people's workforce diploma next academic year and aspires to taking a degree in childcare and eventually running his own nursery. Another useful aspect of the Level 2 training, which is entirely work-based, has been help with paperwork at the nursery.

"I have responsibility for four children as a key worker and the manager has helped me to see how I need to do a variety of activities with them and record that," he adds.