Job Opportunities in Childcare, Early Years and Play
Do you have a sense of fun, enthusiasm and patience? Do you like and care about children? Do you believe that play is vitally important for children?
There are lots of career opportunities working with children and young people for men and women of all ages and cultural backgrounds, including those with disabilities.
If you already work in the sector, you may wish to develop your career by further training, a new job or professional development.
Workforce Newsletter, including job vacancies
Bradford Early Years, Childcare & Play publishes a bi-monthly newsletter for providers and practitioners, covering training opportunities, news and job vacancies.
Types of jobs working with children and young people
Early Years Practitioner (working with ages 0-5 years)
Early Years Practitioners are responsible for ensuring that babies and young children have access to responsive, sensitive, key people who provide experiences that enable them to explore, learn and develop through play. Depending on individual interests there are a variety of settings to choose from:
- Nursery Schools or nursery classes in primary and special schools
- Independent schools
- Day nurseries
- Crèches
- Playgroups/pre-schools
Early Years Recruitment Leaflet
Playworker (working with ages 5-16 years)
Playworkers ensure children and young people have opportunities to play, learn and develop in a positive, stimulating and fun child centred environment. This is achieved by making available a range of play experiences and allowing children the choice, freedom and flexibility to explore the environment according to individual needs. Depending on individual interests there are a variety of settings to choose from:
- Schools
- Out of School Clubs
- Breakfast Clubs
- After School Clubs
- Holiday Clubs
- Open Access Provision
- Holiday Play and Activity Schemes
- Mobile Play Buses
- Adventure Playgrounds
- Playwork Recruitment Leaflet
Childminder (working with ages 0 – 16 years)
Childminders provide professional, personal childcare for babies and children of all ages. The care is given in the childminder’s own home and includes play and educational activities in a safe, stimulating environment.
Other types of careers working with children and young people include:
- Teaching
- Supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs
- Social work
- Health
- Connexions
- Youth and community work
- Mentoring and counselling
Qualifications
There are many career paths available for work with children and young people. There are different levels of qualifications suitable for every stage of your career and you can progress to senior practitioner or management level if you wish.
Entry Level
For people with little or no experience of working with children or for people who wish to develop their knowledge in a specific area.
Level 2
For those who are working under supervision such as a Nursery Assistant or Playgroup Assistant working with children under five, or an Assistant Playworker in an out of school setting.
Level 3
For those who work on their own initiative, planning and organising their own work and supervising others, for example, a Nursery Practitioner, Playgroup Leader, Senior Playworker or a Childminder working on their own at home.
Level 4
For experienced practitioners who carry out complex and non routine tasks such as a manager of an early years nursery or out of school setting or a development officer for a local authority.
Ofsted
Ofsted require that at least half of those working in a registered group childcare setting need to have a recognised qualification, so gaining a qualification is an important step in improving your employment and career opportunities.
Grants for Training in Childcare, Early Years and Playwork
Childcare, Early Years and Playwork practitioners may apply for funding to support course fees from the Early Years, Childcare & Play in the Local Authority area that they live in. (This is the Local Authority to which you pay your Council Tax). This arrangement has been agreed across the whole of the West Yorkshire region.
If you live outside of the Bradford District area you will need to contact your local Early Years, Childcare Play to request a funding application form from them.
If you wish to apply for funding from the Bradford Early Years, Childcare & Play please complete and return the Training Grant Monitoring For.m
Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones is a Childcare Training Programme aimed at the 12 - 16 year old age group. It provides:
- practical help, advice and information for young people who find themselves being informal carers or baby sitters for younger siblings
- an awareness raising process for young people as to the needs and demands of babies and young children
- very useful information and training for possible parents of the future
More information is available on the Stepping Stones webpage on this site.
Recruitment Database
We have a database where we match suitable people with job vacancies. If you would like to be on the database, please complete the Recruitment Registration Form and post it back to us.
