SkillsActive Playwork Unit and the National Day Nurseries Association have spent the past year developing the Level 3 Early Years Transition Award from Playwork and Level 3 Playwork Transition Award from Early Years. Last week they launched a consultation paper on the draft qualification outlines.
Tanny Stobart, national development officer at SkillsActive, said, 'As a result of the increase in nurseries providing flexible care from pre-school to after-school clubs, people who can work across the age ranges are in high demand.' She added that the current training qualification framework 'does not reflect what's happening on the ground'.
The transitional modules will enable Level 3-qualified practitioners and playworkers to add extra modules to their core qualification. As it stands, nursery workers have to gain their Level 3 NVQ in early years and childcare and then do another NVQ in playwork if they wish to work in after-school clubs.
Ms Stobart said, 'Not only will it enable those in the out-of-school sector to work on a fulltime, flexible contract; nursery workers will better understand the needs of older children and provide good continuity for the children.'
Recommendations from a feasibility study and a seminar that considered the cross-cutting issues in joint working have been published in a report, Joined up qualifications, joined up jobs, joined up sectors. The report and consultation are available on the website www.skillsactive.com or by calling Tanny Stobart on 01803 850 157.
