Advice- Level 2 early years assistant apprenticeship

[Deodora95]

Asking for advice to anyone who has completed an nvq apprenticeship level 2 early years assistant.

How much time outside of work did you need to complete coursework?

I'm asking as I currently work 4 days a week and ideally I don't want my daughter to go into nursery anymore than she is (she is 2) but I don't know when I'll complete my coursework otherwise. I have 11 GCSE's a-c including maths, English and science. I also have a level 2 in special educational needs and a level 3 award in teaching support (just so you know my abilities). I feel I am quite knowledgeable in childhood development.

Your employer has to give you 20% off the job time which if you're efficient should give you time to get a lot of the work done. Some of the time can be used for other training so you may not have the full time each week but it should be close.

Also is there a reason you aren't doing a Level 3? You sound more than capable of.it and it'll give you much better employment prospects.

Will you get funding for another level 2? You’ve done level 2 study before (and harder!) so it’ll be a similar level of work needed

Thanksamillion- what does that mean? They haven't provided be with any time off to do coursework 🙃 I have to work 30 hours a week and do my coursework outside.

My employer just doesn't want to put me through a level 3, I suspect it's because they don't want to pay me more. I've asked them about a level 3 multiple times and they said because I've no experience in childcare, I'd find a level 3 too hard :/

Bump

Employers have to provide apprentices with off-the-job training for at at least 20% of their paid hours over the duration of the apprenticeship. It can be at your usual place of work or elsewhere eg college or other training centre.

Worth asking your employer how they propose to do this if they haven't already told you.

Yes, so if you work 30 hours you should be getting 6 of those for coursework/training which you should be logging. Your assesor/training provider should have asked you to keep a log. It can include on the job training such as a more experienced member if staff showing you how to do something. If they need you on the floor for 30 hours they need to pay you additional hours to give you the 20%.
As for L2/L3 I'm surprised because I don't think it would cost them any more and you've already got L3 quals. It's better for their ratios to have L3. I'd ask again or speak to your assessor.

@thanksamillion I think she means they’d have to pay her higher wages with a L3 vs a L2

Agree with others. The rules for an apprenticeship is 20%off the job training/development. This can comprise of you attending college, meeting with your assessor, observations, assignments, research etc. You need to get your training provider to speak to your manager and enforce this rule.

I’m not sure if that’s true. Are you actually going to a college at all for training or are you training at work? I’m assuming as it’s NVQ all training is in house?? So that is your studying bit. Then you do the theory stuff in your own time.

Yeah all training gets done in my own time. It's an nvq. I don't go to a college as such

Have you asked your employer to explain when in your normal hours they are providing the required 20% off the job training?

If they can't give you a reasonable explanation you could say you will then need to get additional advice from the gov helpline (on apprenticeships.gov.uk) which may prompt them to sort things out.

My apprentices have always had to keep a log of their 20%. So you might record 1 hour shadowing someone, 2 hours study etc etc and yes that can include time with your assessor etc. Has the provider asked for that? It's a good way to encourage the employer to give you the time.

You need to do level 3.
Level 2 is a waste of time.
I did both, when you want to change job they mainly only hire level 3.

My employer tricked me into level 2 and made me think I couldn't do level 3 until I found out I could've gone straight onto l3.

Don't waste your time doing level 2.
Every week they need to give you one day a week study day, paid.

Are they still doing NVQs on early years apprenticeships? Thought it would be a L2 diploma?