The University of Northampton has won a prestigious contract to
become one of only eight organisations in the UK to deliver Early
Years Professional Status training to graduates, and the primary
provider for the East Midlands.
The contract, worth £4million over three years, means the
University is now inviting regional graduates and those with
Foundation Degrees who already work with babies and children, aged
up to five-years-old, to sign up for the programme, which will
start in January 2012.
In addition a full time training programme with bursary is
available to graduates of any background who are interested in a
career change to work with young children.
There are already more than 8,000 graduates with Early Years
Professional Status EYPS), and this regional win means a further
530 people will now be able to benefit from the training and
assessment.
Profesor Denise Hevey, who heads up the EYPS programme at The
University of Northampton, said: "We have an excellent track record
for all early years programmes here at Northampton and were named
as an 'Outstanding Provider' of EYPS last year. This new contract
builds on our success and on the good work of all those Early Years
Professionals who have trained with us and are now really making a
difference to children's lives. I hope parents will now get
the message and start asking their nurseries and pre-schools
whether they are employing a graduate with Early Years Professional
Status and if not, why not?"
Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) is a status awarded by
the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) for graduate
level curriculum leaders working with young children across the new
Early Years Foundation Stage.
Research has found that organisations and companies which employ
a graduate leader with EYPS have made significant improvements in
quality, especially in their provision for pre-school children.
Under the banner of the East Midlands EYPS Network, the
University will now work in collaboration with Nottingham Trent
University, Bishop Grosseteste University College and 11 Local
Authorities to deliver EYPS across the East Midlands region and to
support Continuing Professional Development for the wider community
of established Early Years Professionals.
Recruitment for January is starting now and limited funded
places are limited. For more information and an application form,
go to www.northampton.ac.uk/eyps.
The next EYPS briefing evening will be held at The University of
Northampton on November 3rd in the Sulgrave building, Park Campus
from 6pm - 7.30. For further information or to book a place please
email eypsadministrator@northampton.ac.uk