Making the announcement at the start of National Apprenticeship Week (5-11 February), Realise says it believes apprentices hold the answer to helping nurseries deal with a ‘dramatic’ rise in demand for places once the expansion of the funded entitlements comes in from April.
Its apprenticeship scheme will cover Levels 2, 3 and 5, and be open to those over the age of 16 and are already employed by an early years setting, be looking to move out of unemployment and into the sector or interested in changing careers.
Realise also hopes it will be able to attract more males to the sector through its scheme.
Its announcement follows the launch of the Department for Education’s recruitment campaign, which includes a £1,000 sign-up bonus for people joining the sector, across 20 local authorities.
'Apprenticeships have always been a vital part of the recruitment and retention strategy of any nursery'.
Karen Derbyshire, operations director for early years at Realise, said that nurseries ramping up their apprenticeship provision was the most viable way for settings to cope with demand for places. She referred to figures that suggest demand could rise by 15 per cent, the equivalent of caring for 100,000 children full-time.
She added, ‘Apprenticeships have always been a vital part of the recruitment and retention strategy of any nursery but now they are more significant than ever with the seismic increase in demand for places on the way.
‘We are launching a major campaign today to drive apprenticeships within the early years sector, highlighting the benefits and opportunities available from a learner and a nursery viewpoint.
‘We want to make a career in early years appealing for all areas of society but we know how important it is to attract more men into the sector so that will be one particular focus in our campaign.’
Busy Bees to recruit 300 apprentices
The UK’s largest childcare provider, Busy Bees, has also announced it is looking to recruit 300 new apprentices.
The new apprentices, who will be based at Busy Bees’ settings across the UK, will work towards gaining a Level 3 qualification. They will be guaranteed a job following successful completion of their training.
Charlotte Hutchings, group chief people officer at Busy Bees, said, ‘As the childcare sector faces a year of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to invest in recruitment programmes and encourage new talent into the industry.’