The 12- to 18-month salaried training programme, which will offer experience and training in one of LEYF’s 39 London-based settings, will be run in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton from this month.
The male-only cohort will also run alongside a female-only cohort, and aims to encourage apprentices to share and discuss personal experiences among peers while also learning about child development and education.
Upon successful completion of the programme, all apprentices will be guaranteed an interview for a LEYF teacher post.
LEYF currently has a male workforce of 8.2 per cent, above the sector average of 3 per cent.
Chief executive of LEYF, June O’Sullivan, said, ‘We have been campaigning for over 10 years to increase the number of men in childcare and build a more gender inclusive environment.
‘Work done by Men in Childcare Scotland and Men in Childcare Ireland as well as our European colleagues has shown that training male-only groups tends to deliver a more positive outcome and we hope to achieve the same.
‘Furthermore, combining work with training has been popular since apprentices were put on the Statute in 1563, so they certainly stand the test of time.’
Helen Perkins and Tracey Edwards from the University of Wolverhampton, who will help lead the all-male cohort, said, ‘There is currently an under-representation of males within the early years.
‘Following on from our previous action research; Men in the Early Years – does it matter to children?, the London Early Years Foundation wanted to look further into what is holding males back from joining the sector.
‘We therefore want to continue our gender inclusiveness and work towards a more gender-balanced workforce without prejudice.’
To register interest in LEYF’s male-only cohort, contact alana@leyf.org.uk or nick@leyf.org.uk by Friday 6 March.
- See also the ‘Men of the World’ feature in our Nursery Management supplement, free with Nursery World magazine on 16 March.