Dr Eunice Lumsden appointed to role which shapes the future of children and young people

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has appointed Dr Eunice Lumsden to their Education and Childcare route panel.

Through the work of the Panel, Eunice will be at the forefront of shaping the way young people access education through apprenticeships and technical qualifications. Eunice will use her decades of experience working in social care and Early Years Education to support the creation of excellent standards within apprenticeship and technical qualifications, to ensure these people are highly skilled to support children to be the best they can be.

Speaking about her appointment Eunice said: “It’s my professional and personal mission to raise the profile of early childhood – not just the importance of the Early Years for our youngest children and their families, but also the value of those people who are gaining qualifications in order to professionally care for those children.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Institute to support the development of apprenticeships in the Education and Childcare field that have children at their heart and reflect the nuances of Early Years care and education.”

Eunice spent over 20 years specialising in safeguarding and adoption before entering higher education with a personal mission to raise the profile of early childhood. She has extensive experience in advising on workforce development and qualifications nationally and internationally.  She contributed to the external reference groups for Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status standards and was on the expert group for the Early Years Level 2 qualification. Her research interests include the professionalisation of the early childhood workforce, child maltreatment, poverty and adoption.

Alongside her role as Head of Early Years at the University of Northampton, Eunice is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a registered social worker.