The CoVE in Playwork and Early Years north-east is being led by three colleges of further education: Bishop Auckland College in County Durham, North Tyneside College in Tyne and Wear and Stockton Riverside College in Stockton-on-Tees.
Louise Kemp, Bishop Auckland College's head of school for care and child education, said the centre would be the UK's first collaborative partnership CoVE to specialise in childcare.
She said, 'The CoVE will develop a range of training opportunities across the north-east to encourage more people to embark on a career pathway in early years and playwork. We will offer training from entry level right up to Level 4 and beyond, although the main focus will be on Level 3.
'We hope the CoVE will become a centre of excellence for the delivery of innovative, flexible and responsive education and training, meeting the demands of staff seeking employment within childcare in the north-east, the rest of the UK and internationally.'
The centre has received funding from the Learning and Skills Council. The first year has been designated a development stage, but the CoVE will operate fully from 2006. Ultimately, the CoVE hopes to work with other colleges to further early years training opportunities.
Children's minister Margaret Hodge said, 'Making sure we have excellent training facilities to increase the childcare workforce remains at the heart of the Government's agenda. I am delighted that the efforts of the north-east to increase the childcare workforce have officially been recognised with a collaborative CoVE for childcare.'