CACHE Early years and childcare
As the market-leader in the sector, our early years and childcare qualifications are the hallmark of quality, and assure employers that their workforce has the right knowledge, skills and behaviours to excel in their professional responsibilities.
We’re always committed to modernising and revolutionising the sector to empower learners with the skills they’ll need to succeed. That’s why we’re delighted to have been selected to support the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education by developing the technical qualification which underpins the T Level in Education and Early Years.
We seek feedback from subject specialists and industry experts when we develop all our qualifications. Our mission is to create purposeful and influential early years and childcare qualifications that fill skills gaps as they emerge – for the benefit of our future workforce.
Opportunities in early years and childcare
A skills survey by Ceeda in 2019 revealed that more than one in two settings had skills gaps in their existing workforce – over four times the 13 per cent of employers who report this across the wider economy. With so many vacancies to be filled in this critical sector, and ongoing opportunities to progress, working as an early years practitioner can be a rewarding vocation for life.
Download the NCFE Guide to Careers in Early Years Education and Childcare
This NCFE Careers in Early Years Education and Childcare guide is designed to provide a concise overview of the qualifications needed to undertake a range of early years education and childcare roles.
NCFE early years practitioner and early years educator qualifications are 'full and relevant' and approved by the DfE, meeting these minimum requirements and enabling learners to count in staff:child ratios.
Employer guide to competency-based qualifications in education and childcare
We’re committed to empowering everyone who wants a career in early years and childcare to progress towards it, which is why we believe it’s important to address the gender balance in the sector and support more men to enter childcare. Our Careers Toolkit, which we developed in collaboration with leading academics, sector experts and employers, includes a section devoted to research on men’s impact in the childcare sector, as well as reflections from men working in this field.
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Why Should I Care?
We’re celebrating the people who make a difference every day in education, early years, health and social care.
Read moreEducation and Early Years Career Toolkit
Collaborating for success
We’re extremely proud of our work with Save the Children to support the development of child protection systems abroad. To date, we’ve delivered training programmes in countries like India and Myanmar, while also training Save the Children staff.
Jane Calder, Save the Children’s Senior Child Protection Advisor in Asia and the Pacific said:
“We’re excited about this partnership and see real potential for a far-reaching qualification scheme within Save the Children. This will allow our staff to be recognised for the great work they do, and ultimately will help lead to children being better protected from violence. We’d like to thank NCFE for their work and for sharing our vision and mission.”
We’re also proud members of the Communication Trust Consortium, which helps children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). Communication is essential for developing friendships and learning life skills, but as many as 1.4 million children and young people have needs in this area. With this partnership, we aim to address this to improve education access for everybody.
Embedding sustainability into early years
Our sector specialists, in collaboration with Dr Diane Boyd of Liverpool John Moores University, have created an early childhood education for sustainability resource, aimed at embedding sustainability and STEM into early years experiences for young children.
The resource aims to support practitioners working directly with young children, students during their training, and parents with young children. This holistic approach to entrenching sustainability into early years education will help to secure long-term impact. Through providing innovative, yet simple and straightforward ideas, practitioners will more easily be able to make sustainability a central part of their practice.
On the blog
Learner stories: “I’d decided education might n...
Leah Maughan shares how the T Level in Education and Early Years reignited her love of learning, restored her confidence, and opened the door to her next chapter of studying at Leeds Trinity University.
The numbers (and stories) behind the Education...
Now in its sixth year, we take a closer look at how the Education and Early Years T Level qualification has impacted students, providers and employers, as well as the wider technical education landscape.
Meet the children choosing to hang out with the...
Our Sector Manager for Education and Childcare, Janet King, explains the benefits of the intergenerational care model – using Apple and Honey Nightingale's 'Grandfriends Club' as a shining example of its lasting impacts on those young and old.
How intergenerational care is bridging barriers...
As part of our Why Should I Care? campaign, we speak with Dr Judith Ish-Horowicz MBE HonsDEd about the power of intergenerational practice – and why it could hold the key to a more connected, compassionate future.