New £6m programme to upskill early years and childcare workers

Early years, childcare and play workers in North, West Wales and the South Wales Valleys will be supported to gain new skills and recognised qualifications thanks to a new £6.3m Welsh Government programme.

Education Minister, Huw Lewis and Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths announced today that the Welsh Government has been successful in securing £4.2m of EU funding for its Progress for Success programme.

The EU funding will be matched by £2.1m from Welsh Government and will be used to upskill  early years, childcare and play workers in Conwy, Anglesey, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.

Currently a significant number of practitioners working in the childcare and play sector in Wales have no or very low levels of recognised qualifications so the main focus of the Progress for Success programme will be to support workers to gain Level 3 sector qualifications.

The programme will also provide support to childcare and play workers already at Level 3 to increase their qualifications further  at Levels 4 – 6.

Education Minister, Huw Lewis:

“I am delighted that we have now secured EU funding for our Progress for Success programme.

“This will mean that childcare and play workers in North, West Wales and the Valleys will be able to access new skills and qualifications that will enhance their ability to do their jobs.

“Like teachers, childcare and play workers have a key role to play in developing the social and cognitive skills of our children and helping them to reach their full potential.

“Progress for Success will ensure that our practitioners have the skills and qualifications  they need to deliver for our youngest children.”

Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths, said:

“Children’s early years are vital to their future development, which is why we are committed to ensuring they get the very best start in life.

“Our Progress for Success programme will not only give early education, childcare and play practitioners fantastic professional development opportunities, but also in turn ensure children get the support they need to thrive.”