National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Cymru is looking to recruit people in the Cardiff Council area who are not currently in employment and looking for a career in childcare to become paid trainee nursery assistants.
NDNA’s Childcare Works programme, fully funded by the Welsh Government, will be delivered across ten local authority areas in Wales. Cardiff is the second project area to launch recruitment of candidates, following a successful launch in Conwy in May.
Those who are accepted onto the project will receive paid essential childcare training for four weeks followed by a paid placement in a Cardiff nursery for 12 weeks. Trainees will be fully supported throughout the project by NDNA Cymru and hopefully go on to start a career in the childcare and early years sector.
This project follows on from the success of Childcare Works phase one in Flintshire and Wrexham in which 16 participants took part in a similar supported employment project last year. The vast majority of those involved went on to secure permanent employment in the sector.
Sandra Welsby, National Manager NDNA Cymru, said: “Childcare Works encourages people aged 25 and over to consider a career in childcare and early years where they may not have before. It allows them to undertake practical work placement opportunities within the sector, giving them a real taste of this rewarding career choice. Participants are given training and ongoing support which teaches them valuable skills to help them embark upon a career in childcare.”
The project team has approached nurseries across Cardiff to take part who will induct the new staff member into their settings and make sure they are fulfilling their potential. There is capacity for more childcare settings to come forward to take part and host a trainee.
Sarah Coates, Childcare Works Project Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be rolling out the Childcare Works project across Wales, now moving into Cardiff. Anyone interested in taking part who is aged 25 or over must live either in or near the Cardiff local authority area. We will provide a range of training workshops including mandatory topics such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid. Participants who are new to this kind of work will acquire the skills and knowledge needed to support them during their nursery placement.
“This is not only about supporting the childcare and early years sector in Wales which is undergoing an expansion as the Childcare Offer for Wales becomes available to three and four year olds of working parents. It is also about giving people the vocational skills, knowledge and confidence they need to start a new, rewarding career teaching the future generations. Nurseries involved in the project have the chance to make their workforce more diverse as participants bring with them a wealth of different life experiences which can help enrich a young child’s learning and development.”
The project will also be running in Wrexham, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The aim of the programme is to train and support 84 trainee nursery assistants by December 2020.
Candidates for the Cardiff project must sign up by 19 July.
To sign up, or to find out more information and read case studies of those who took part in Childcare Works phase one, go to ndna.org.uk/childcareworks. Alternatively, contact the NDNA Cymru office on 01824 707823.
