Schoolfriend etc runs 500 after-school, breakfast and holiday clubs in 72 local authority areas, with plans for 1,000 more clubs.
Fiona Mortlock, the head of the new training arm Schoolfriend tec, said, 'We had lots of clubs waiting to register with Ofsted but couldn't, as they had no qualified staff. People may have 20 years' experience in playwork but no qualifications, which means they cannot be a play leader. Letting people train on the job kills two birds with one stone.'
She added, 'We identified 12 people who we felt were very capable but had no qualifications. We enrolled them on the NVQ3 in Playwork. We then extended the pilot to 30 people and now have a couple of people who have nearly completed the NVQ3 in just six months.'
Schoolfriend tec courses are also available to local authorities. Ms Mortlock said, 'Local authorities have targets as well and they also have a shortage of qualified playworkers.'
Schoolfriend tec courses include NVQ level 2 and 3 in Playwork, accredited by CACHE. As well as on-the-job skills training, candidates can study theoretical modules on-site or at the nearest available location.
Current regulations state that the manager of an after-school setting must be appropriately qualified to at least an NVQ level 3, and at least 50 per cent of staff in an after-school setting must have a relevant qualification to at least NVQ level 2.
Research carried out in 2005 by SkillsActive, the sector skills council for playwork, highlighted the shortage of qualified playworkers in out-of-school clubs. It found that 61 per cent of employers had problems finding people with the required skills, often because candidates lacked specific playwork qualifications.