Childcare courses - Not sure which one is best to get me the type of job I want.

[JDM]

I would love to work in a pre school nursery (preference) or possibly a reception class, but i'm getting very confused about which would be the best course to do.

My local college offers the following courses -

*CACHE Certificate for Teaching Assistant Level 2 (i'd have to organise my own voluntary placement for this).

*CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education - The college organise placements in this course, but I think the course is possibly 2 yrs long, as oppose to 1 yr of the above course.

*Children's Care Learning & Development NVQ Level 2 - Must be attending a placement when starting this course

*Teaching Assistant NVQ Level 2 - Again i need to be in a placement at the start of this course.

I am totally baffled as to which is the best course to do. The teaching assitants courses look good, but I am worried they might limit which pre school jobs I could apply for. I mean are assitants in pre school nurseries classes as TA's or Nursery Nurses ??

Would I be better doing a more general childcare course such as the Children's Care Learning & Development NVQ or the CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education ??

Message withdrawn

Right, so in that case a general childcare qualification might be better ?

Bumping for anymore opinions.

Nursery nurses usually have an NNEB qualification. TAs work in school nurseries.

If you are going for a TA qualification the NVQ is mainly assessment in the work place. The CACHE certificate sounds more hard work and assignment-based from what I've heard and I don't think is regarded more highly than the NVQ.
At my college the CACHE certificate is 3 hours college every week and the NVQ is 2 hours every fortnight.

If you only want to work in nurseries then the CCLD NVQ sounds the best to me.

Hi there

Check this page out

www.cache.org.uk/cachednn/Qualifications/QualificationsDirectory/EarlyYearsCareandEducation/tabId/65 /default.aspx

I think of all the ones you mention the 2 year looks like a diploma and will be hard work but maybe the best option in the long run.

The other 3 seems to be courses you take once you have a job in a school etc.

You could look at the CACHE main page and ask for advice?

The NNEB has been replaced by the CACHE Diploma in Child Care Learning & Development level 3.

But speak to your local college, I was put onto a BTEC Award & Certificate (Level 3) in Early Years which gives me the licence to practice with young children. I attend college 1 day a week and placement 2 days so is very family friendly :D

At the end of it I can work in a school, nursery, home etc.