Finding the fifth element

At Children's Workforce development Council (CWDC) we are continually working to improve knowledge and skills within the early years sector. This, in turn, enhances the quality of services provided to young children and their families. The introduction and ongoing development of Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) is at the heart of this process. EYPS was launched in 2006 and since then we have seen real progress. We now have close to 4,000 early years professionals across the country with thousands more currently on training pathways. Originally, we established four routes, or pathways, for gaining EYPS - a four-month Validation Pathway, a six-month Short Pathway, a 15-month Long Pathway and a year-long Full Pathway to equip newcomers to the sector.

We are constantly looking for ways to improve the routes that already exist and work together with our partners - training providers, employers, local authorities and others - to identify new pathways to widen the pool of skilled candidates. Our aim is to develop the pathways to EYPS for those inside and outside the sector, while keeping the rigour of the training and assessment.

By increasing the number and variety of routes, we are making EYPS more accessible. This will help our drive to have one early years professional in every early years setting by 2015 and to establish sustainable training routes for the future. Through running a pilot scheme, we have clearly seen that an additional route to gaining EYPS is vital to recognise the learning provided by an Early Childhood Studies degree (ECSD).

To have undergraduates and graduates who are already undertaking academic study within early years continue straight on to gain the professional status seemed like a logical and natural progression, linking the professional evidence required by the EYP Standards to their academic study.

Students on early years degree programmes already have a particular base of skills and knowledge and have demonstrated a commitment to early childhood. It makes good sense, therefore, to make EYPS a clear career opportunity for them. having prior understanding means that they are well prepared for the rigorous assessment process involved in demonstrating the standards needed to gain EYPS.

In September (2009) we launched the new ECSD/ EYPS Pathway with four training providers: Sheffield Hallam University, Northampton University, the University of Worcester and Canterbury Christ Church University.

The new pathway is set over an 18 to 24-month period starting from the closing stages of a degree programme. Before this, students will typically have benefited from the subject focus of their degree. The pathway provides elements not typically covered within the degree, such as mentoring on the EYP Standards and a focus on leading practice. There are currently over a hundred students on the ECSD/EYPS Pathway who will gain EYPS in 2010, 2011 and 2012. We expect hundreds more to follow in the coming years, with 12 training providers delivering for a 2010 intake.

Eunice Lumsden is the facilitator of the ECSD/ EYPS Pathway at The University of Northampton. She says that the launch of the new pathway has been very successful and has built on the pilot programme.

One of the most successful elements of the pilot was the mentoring programme between students on the pathway and first year undergraduates. This enabled the pilot students to develop their skills at leading and supporting others. This has since been built into the new professional pathway. All the pilot students have now gone through the Gateway Review and the majority are now having their final assessments. They had the opportunity of completing the professional element of their study either in a work placement or in a full-time job.

Eunice has found that employers are recognising the value of the pathway and that all the pilot students have found full-time positions. 'The new ECSD/EYPS Pathway is a really positive step forward for students studying Early Childhood Studies who want to pursue a professional career in the early years,' she says.

'What's great is that students are developing a multi-disciplinary understanding of the holistic development of a child within the family and community. The pathway allows the professional application of this knowledge and understanding in early years settings.'

For more information on Early Years Professional Status, please log onto www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/eyps or call 0800 996600.

EYE Volume 11, No 9, January 2010

Reproduced with permission. Early Years Educator (c)2010 MA Education Limited.

EYE is available through subscription or from selected newsagents and bookstands. It features a broad range of professional articles for practitioners who are serious about developing their career including information for those working, or wanting to work, in early years and attain the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).