University wins £4m contract to provide early years training

The EYPS training will be delivered 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.

Professor 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?

Denise Hevey

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 emaileypsadministrator@northampton.ac.uk