Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to attract recruits into early years provision.

Employers in the early years sector are responsible for recruiting and setting the pay and conditions for their employees, within the statutory requirements set by government (for example, the national minimum wage).

Early years employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy can receive up to 95% co-investment from the government towards the cost of apprenticeship training. Trailblazer groups of employers, supported by the Institute for Apprenticeships, are also developing new standards for early years at levels 2, 5 and 6.

In March 2017, the department published the early years workforce strategy which outlined government's plans to support employers to attract, retain and develop early years staff to deliver high quality provision. The strategy is attached.

As a result of the strategy we have worked with sector stakeholders to develop criteria for new more robust level 2 qualifications, as well as developing new career pathways information to support careers advice, recruitment and staff development. The new career pathways map is attached.