As local authorities have cut their early years training budgets settings are increasingly turning to independent early years consultants for support and training.
In turn, early years advisers made redundant by local authorities are carving out new careers as independent consultants.
The NEyTCO Professional Consulting Skills Programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the professional body for managers and leaders.
Trainees can sign up to the first module ‘New to Consultancy Workshop’ a one-day workshop with one month preparation and mentoring, or choose to build on this with a further two modules of training to cover the syllabus of the Level 5 Award in Professional Consulting, a degree-level qualification awarded by the CMI.
NEYTCO, a community interest company, was started last year by Laura Henry and Catriona Nason to bring together early years trainers and consultants.
The organisation aims to offer support and guidance to those in the early years sector and is urging all early years consultants to become members.
The new course is designed for:
- those new to operating as a consultant who wish to build their confidence and develop under-pinning knowledge and skills;
- experienced consultants who wish to build on their existing abilities and acquire an accredited qualification;
- people who are currently employed in specialist roles who are planning to work as consultants in the future.
Catriona Nason, NEyTCO director and chair, said, ‘This new NEyTCO course has been developed specifically for early years trainers and consultants to improve their professional status and the quality of the profession.
She said NEyTCO’s aim is to ‘generate the energy, flow of ideas, and proactive work needed to maintain and develop a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of its members, and for quality improvement within the early years sector.’
She urged all early years consultants to become NEyTCO members.
‘As their professional membership organisation, we are contributing to the quality improvement, professional status, sustainability, accountability and voice of the profession to the sector and to society,’ she said.
The course is being run by Jacqui Burke of Flourishing People, which offers specialist support to the early years and childcare sector, with Jeremy Webster of Silver Pebble, an approved centre of the CMI.
The course starts with the workshop on 23 October in London.
- For more information visit www.neytco.co.uk/training