The news that neither early years nor playwork have succeeded in their bids to be one of the trailblazer Sector Skills Councils (see page 4) is not a terribly encouraging start to the new year, when training and recruitment are perhaps the most pressing issues for these sectors at the moment. The huge numbers of people needed to staff the expansion of nursery education and childcare for both pre-school and school-age children will not be found easily, and any limbo that results after the disbandment of the National Training Organisations will only make matters worse. Longer term, the right decision must be made about where these sectors are positioned. It would make sense to have a cohesive approach to training for people working with children rather than splitting up early years work and playwork, but it would be a mistake to view early years only as care, rather than an indivisible combination of education and care.
The news that neither early years nor playwork have succeeded in their bids to be one of the trailblazer Sector Skills Councils (see page 4) is not a terribly encouraging start to the new year, when training and recruitment are perhaps the most pressing issues for these sectors at the moment. The huge numbers of people needed to staff the expansion of nursery education and childcare for both pre-school and school-age children will not be found easily, and any limbo that results after the disbandment of the National Training Organisations will only make matters worse.
Longer term, the right decision must be made about where these sectors are positioned. It would make sense to have a cohesive approach to training for people working with children rather than splitting up early years work and playwork, but it would be a mistake to view early years only as care, rather than an indivisible combination of education and care.
Nursery World has lots of new features planned for 2002, kicking off this week with a series aimed at practitioners working with under-threes and their parents. We hope you'll share these articles with the parents of your youngest charges.