Could it be me?
What experience and qualifications do I need?
If you're patient and enthusiastic, take responsibility seriously and have a sense of fun, you may have all you need to start your career in childcare or playwork.
For some jobs you can start from scratch. But for most of them it pays to get a qualification. It helps you make the most of your skills and give children your best. After all, you'll play an important role as you watch them develop and grow - socially, physically, creatively and emotionally. And a qualification can help you up the career ladder.
You can train on the job or at college, or combine the two. Some colleges also offer distance learning. I don't have any qualifications, will I get a job?
Many early years settings will take you on without qualifications. However, you will need to be prepared to undertake training whilst working, and this training is often in the evening or weekend. There are a number of free introductory courses in the City - click here to take a look. Attending some of these before you start applying for jobs may make you more attractive to potential employers. I have a qualification I gained some time ago
If you gained a childcare qualification some years ago and have not been working in the field, you will need to prove that you have kept up to date. Do you read relevant journals or look at relevant websites? Here are some that may be www.underfives.co.uk
www.practicalpreschool.com
www.nurseryworld.co.uk
www.ncb.org.uk
www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
www.foundation-stage.info You might find it helpful to volunteer in a childcare or early years setting for a while. If you are working or volunteering in a setting there is often financial support available to undertake/update your training.
What qualifications could I study for?
If you want to work with under 5's then you will need to look at early years courses. For work with over 5's, playwork courses are the most relevant. There are different levels of qualification suitable for every stage of your career. And change the following to read Entry level – For people with little or no experience of working with children (see courses in Introductory Course booklet)
Level 2 – For those who are working under supervision in a paid or voluntary capacity such as a nursery/ playgroup/pre-school/playwork assistant or classroom assistants (see courses in Introductory, Continuous Professional Development booklets or local colleges)
Level 3 – For those who work on their own initiative such as Childminders, or those involved with the line management of other staff or who have responsibility for ‘rooms’ within a nursery environment or classroom assistants (see courses in Introductory, Continuous Professional Development booklets or local colleges)
Level 4 – For experienced or senior practitioners including Lead practitioners or Managers of either early years or playwork settings. ((see courses in Introductory, Continuous Professional Development booklets or local colleges)
Level 5/Foundation Degree – For experienced or senior practitioners including Early Years or Playwork Lead Practitioners or Managers, Childminders and Foundation Stage classroom assistants. (Contact Southampton/Portsmouth University for details of Sector Endorsed Early Years Foundation Degrees and Brighton University for Playwork Foundation Degrees)
Level 6 – For those who wish to top up their Foundation Degree and work towards obtaining Early Years Professional (EYP) status (for more details on EYP see www.cwdcouncil.org.uk ) For a full list of nationally recognised qualifications click here (external link) or speak to the Recruitment Officer at the Southampton Early Years team on 023 8083 3122 For a full list of recognised qualifications click here (external link), or speak to the Children's Information Service on 023 8083 3122. Can I work part-time?
There are lots of opportunities to work part-time. Many pre-schools open for two and a half hour sessions, and operate only during term time. Breakfast, after school clubs and holiday playschemes operate only at certain times of the day or year, and there are often opportunities for part-time work in nurseries.
Many people combine two jobs to create longer hours. For example, working in a pre-school and at an after-school club. Childminders are self-employed and can set their own hours.
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