Many fine words are uttered about the need to raise the status of the early years workforce and the professionalism of the sector. Around 600,000 people are now working in early years in an ever-increasingly wide range of jobs, but there has been no central point to drive forward greater professionalism and give it a focus. So the National Day Nurseries Association's plan to launch an Academy of Early Years Professionals seems a very good idea for the sector, for individual childcare and early years staff and for parents (see News, page 4). The idea for individual 'passports' showing a member's recognised qualifications and police check clearance could be particularly useful for clarifying such matters to parents and reassuring them about the staff to whom they are entrusting their children.
Many fine words are uttered about the need to raise the status of the early years workforce and the professionalism of the sector. Around 600,000 people are now working in early years in an ever-increasingly wide range of jobs, but there has been no central point to drive forward greater professionalism and give it a focus.
So the National Day Nurseries Association's plan to launch an Academy of Early Years Professionals seems a very good idea for the sector, for individual childcare and early years staff and for parents (see News, page 4). The idea for individual 'passports' showing a member's recognised qualifications and police check clearance could be particularly useful for clarifying such matters to parents and reassuring them about the staff to whom they are entrusting their children.
For staff, such an organisation could smooth transitions between jobs in different parts of the sector and give them access to more training and useful advice and information. The sector as a whole could benefit from having a stronger, unified voice for its practitioners, especially if early years ends up as a small part of a large Sector Skills Council, as seems likely to be the case.
