What is the role of an Early Years Professional?

Early Years Professionals (EYPs) will be trained to work in a range of early years settings.

It is the government’s aim to have EYPs in all children’s centres offering early years provision by 2010 and in every full daycare setting by 2015. CWDC believe that over time, only those with EYPS will lead the delivery of the new Early Years Foundation Stage.

EYPs will be trained to:

• often work as part of the team of skilled and committed people working with children in early years settings or wider children’s services.
• take responsibility for leading and managing play, care and learning.
• have a secure and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of early years practice with children from birth to five; and be skilled and effective practitioners.

In addition to this, EYPs will have an important role in leading and supporting other staff by helping them to develop and improve their practice, establish and maintain positive relationships with children and communicate and work in partnership with families, carers and other professionals.

Who can be an Early Years Professional?

Graduates with a wide range of experience and qualifications working in a range of settings and roles, as well as new recruits, are potential candidates for EYPS.

For example, you may have graduate qualifications that are relevant to the EYP Standards but have little experience in early years settings. Or you may have a great deal of relevant experience but qualifications below graduate level such as an Early Years Foundation Degree (EYFD). Perhaps you are somewhere in between. Whether you are very close to achieving the EYP Standards or some way off, as long as you meet the EYPS entry requirements then there will be a suitable training and assessment pathway for you leading to EYPS.

You will need a graduate qualification to attain EYPS but if you are an experienced early years practitioner currently working in the sector you do not necessarily need to have this qualification at the beginning of your training. If you have a foundation degree (or equivalent) you can ‘top up’ your qualifications while you train.

The training that you undertake will be based on the relevance and level of your qualifications and your experience. If you are close to achieving the EYP Standards you will have less training to do, perhaps as little as four months. If your qualifications and experience are not yet sufficient you may need to train for longer. By assessing your qualifications and experience, training providers will be able to help you choose the right pathway to becoming an EYP.

The training will be personalised so that it fits your particular circumstances. Whatever the length of your training, the outcome will be the same - you will have met the Standards required for EYPS to be conferred.