Co-op to invest in over 600 early years apprenticeships

The Co-op, along with other members of The Royal Foundation’s Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, is spearheading an intervention to invest in over 600 early years apprentices. 

It comes as the UK is grappling with a shortage of health visitors and midwives, with the existing childcare system also being widely regarded as “expensive and requiring more funding”. 

The investment will span employers across the private, public, voluntary and community sectors who support the wellbeing of children under five-years-old. It will also help play a role in delivering the workforce required to staff the creation of 3,000 nurseries across England.

This will be achieved through the Co-op Levy Share service, which allows partners to pledge up to 50% of annual unspent apprenticeship levy funds to support the provision of apprenticeships in underrepresented groups.

Co-op is also creating a specific fund in support of early childhood, with a starting pledge of £1m from members of the Business Taskforce and a commitment to raising £5m over the next five years, with additional pledges from Midcounties Co-operative. 

In addition, Labour has pledged to create more than 100,000 new nursery places for children from nine months old, with plans to repurpose unused space in primary schools to create places in 3,000 nurseries.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of Co-op, said: “Whether we are parents or not, we will all have young children in our lives, and we will understand the importance of supporting them and also their parents through the early years.

“We’re currently in talks with other taskforce members to see how they can contribute to provide further funding, but we are also looking to other businesses not already involved in the taskforce to get involved and support the Levy.”

Sara Dunham, chief officer for Your Co-op Little Pioneers Childcare, added: “The early years sector is crying out for apprenticeships to help showcase what a rewarding career it can be, training the next generation of talented early years teachers in order to provide the best possible start in life for children throughout the UK.

“As a co-operative, we strongly believe in doing good together to make a collective difference, and this pledge to invest in 600 Early Years’ apprenticeships aims to do just that, helping strengthen the sector as a whole whilst creating opportunities for talented individuals to forge a rewarding career in childcare.”