Anyone here work in early years (nursery) and can help me - apprenticeship / training query

[sweetheart]

My dd has been looking for an apprenticeship working in a nursery. She is currently doing her level 2 at college (due to finish soon) and has decided she would rather do the level 3 in a work environment. She has been asking nurseries for apprenticeships up until now.

She had an interview with a nursery she really liked and they really liked her. However their head office put a stop of apprenticeship recruitment. I have been speaking to the nursery manager and they have said they could employ her as a unqualified nursery nurse (and she would get paid more than the apprentice wage) and after 6 months probation she could train on the job to do her level 3.

Am I missing something here? If she can get paid more and still do her level 3 what is the point / benefit of an apprenticeship role?

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Would the qualification be transferable to other places further down the line?

[Allthebestnamesareused]

It is quite usual for nurseries to offer training for higher level qualifications to actual junior employees. I assme there will be associated paperwork etc with apprenticeships that mean it may be simpler to just employ her as a level 2 qualified and when they are happy she is staying to train her up. Also they may have to guarantee to have the apprentice a certain length of time snd foubd themselves lumbered with people who didn't really want to do it but have to do something post 16 pre 18. Tsking on someone like yiur daughter allows tgem a probationary period after which they can let people go if not suitable but offers a training programme to those who are on a. proper wage. I'd say go for it.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Wow all those stubby fingers typos on iPhone

[sweetheart]

Can you think of any disadvantages to her doing it this way? And would the qualification she did be a nationally recognized qualification?

Seems odd to me that at 16 they can't recruit her as an apprentice - where they said they would have offered her £3.40 but for the sake of 3 months they can employ her at 17, pay her £2 more per hour and still give her a qualification.

[Tobuyornot99]

Maybe they are one of the few decent employers out there and want to treat junior staff well so they stay. Or maybe they already have an apprentice and can't have more than one due to ratios, or maybe she won't be able to be could Ted in the numbers if she's an apprentice

[KentMum2008]

I think it's quite possibly more to do with paperwork etc than anything else. However as far as I know, you can't be counted in ratios if you're under 18 so I'm assuming your DD is 18. There's also the consideration that apprentices normally need to be released for a day to go to college, whereas if she's just employed at level it'll be up to her to do all her college work in her own time, which would be difficult at level 3 because the new EYE course is far more in depth than the level 2 she's just completed. However, if your DD is self disciplined enough it's achievable.

[KentMum2008]

Just employed at level 2*

[Allthebestnamesareused]

The qualification she gains will be nationally recognised and it is possible that the nursery will give her time off to study/day release. Perhaps she could ask what the situation is regarding this.

It is probably just simpler for the nursery to have her as an employee (payroll/admin wise) than having to report to an apprenticeship scheme. As someone else has said I would assume they were a better employer to have her as an actual properly paid member of staff rather than looking for the cheap labour of an apprentice when either way gives her a proper qualification at the end of it anyway.

[insancerre]

If she has a level 2 then she is already qualified to work in a nursery and can be counted in the ratios as a level 2
She isn't an apprentice
I manage a nursery and my I have lots of staff working as well as doing qualifications
apptentices are usually aid an apprentice rate, mine gets £3.40 an hour and they are normally only on a 12 month apprentice contract with no guarantee of a job after