South East Early Years Training Receives University Status
The University of Hertfordshire is set to deliver the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), graduate-level training for nursery, childcare and pre-school professionals in the South East of England, from January 2012.The EYPS is the only government-endorsed professional accreditation for the early years sector.
The £3.4 million contract to has been awarded by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and the Department for Education (DfE) and is the result of a competitive bid by the University’s School of Education, which works closely with a consortium of partners from across the East of England. The consortium, Early Years East, is responsible for providing training and assessment for EYPS for the East of England.
Grant Bage, Chief Executive of the consortium’s lead partner, ELC, said: “We are proud to lead a consortium of such experienced and highly-regarded educational establishments. The University of Hertfordshire in particular has a wealth of experience delivering early years workforce training and qualifications. This is an important and valuable programme that makes a real difference to the quality of children’s lives.”
Lyn Trodd, from the School of Education at the University of Hertfordshire said: “EYPS sits within the capacity-building approach of the School of Education. It offers an opportunity to meet employers’ needs and to provide important career development for Early Years practitioner-students who work with or intend to work with disadvantaged children.”
EYPS is a recognised national status equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). EYPS has already been awarded to over 8,300 early years practitioners so far and the consortium’s 490 new entrants to the programme from January will help ensure the East of England has a thorough resource of well-qualified early years practitioners ready to lead and deliver excellent practice in early years settings.
Judith Thompson, Assistant Director for Early Years at the CWDC said: “We look forward to working with our new providers to welcome the next cohort of candidates to join this flagship graduate-level early years programme which is making a real difference to the lives of young children and families."
For anyone who is interested in developing a graduate career in early years, or for anyone who currently works in the sector and would like to gain this valued, recognised status, please contact earlyyears@elc-cambridge.org or visit www.eypseast.org