In September 2025 the UK Government announced an increase in the free childcare hours offered to working parents, raising the entitlement to 30 hours per week. While this was a welcome change for families who were struggling amidst the cost-of-living crisis, childcare settings were worried of the increased pressures this change may bring.
To mitigate the challenges the government has made plans for recruiting an extra 35,000 staff members, however, a recent research suggest the recruitment for the Early Years sector has stalled. In this article we will discuss strategies to support staff recruitment and retention in the Early Years sector.
Plans for developing a younger workforce
One of the key agenda points of the current government is to create more opportunities for young people. Recently, changes were announced for the apprenticeship levy, now known as the Growth & Skills Levy, to support young people entering the workforce. These changes include employer incentives for hiring apprentices.
Apprenticeships to improve setting quality
The report mentioned above has found that a higher qualified workforce is likely to deliver better quality early years education and care. Despite this, qualification levels across settings remain low. Apprenticeships are a great way to ensure setting staff are fully qualified as they can be used to recruit new staff as well as for upskilling existing staff.
LMP Education’s Early Years Apprenticeships
LMP Education offers three levels of training for Early Years professionals helping learners develop within the field.
Early Years Practitioner Level 2
Early Years Practitioners (EYP) interact daily with parents, children, and a variety of professionals such as health visitors and social workers. EYP apprentices, participate in observation, assessment, and care duties while collaborating with parents and professionals playing A crucial role in identifying potential hazards to ensure the safety of children.
Early Years Educator Level 3
Early Years Educators, and other job roles such as nursery nurse and childminders, are highly trained professionals who play a key role in ensuring that young children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
They work in a range of settings including full day care, children’s centres, pre-schools, reception classes and as childminders. They may either be working on their own or supervising others to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements set by Government for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.
Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship Level 5
A Level 5 apprentice will gain the skills to lead best practice, mentor staff, and implement the EYFS framework effectively. Investing in staff development can directly improve the quality of education and care you provide, which can have a positive impact on Ofsted ratings and your setting’s reputation.
Investing in a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship can bring significant benefits to both your staff and your business. This apprenticeship helps develop future leaders within your setting, improving the quality of care, staff retention and overall business performance.
Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT)
LMP Education is pleased to launch a new Early Years Initial Teacher Training programme to support career growth and development in the Early Years sector. This programme is delivered in conjunction with our sister organisation, Best Practice Network.
The Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) is a one-year programme, fully funded by the Department for Education (DfE), open to graduates from all fields of study.
Upon completing the EYITT, participants earn the Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), qualifying them as certified early years teachers.
This EYTS certification enables practitioners to work with children from birth to five years in a range of early years settings, such as private nurseries, children’s centres, and reception classes within academies and independent schools.
To learn more about how your setting can use apprenticeships to develop your workforce, book a free consultation call with the LMP Education team today!
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