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When it came to addressing issues in the early years sector, local charity West Smethwick Enterprise jumped at the chance to partner with 探花直播 in order to make a positive difference.
Developing knowledge and removing skills gaps
, a community-based organisation offering pre-school facilities and family support services, joined forces with BCU and Newman University on the Early Years Career Progression Pathways (EYCPP) project.
EYCPP, part-funded by the European Social Fund, has been set up in order to provide students, graduates and local residents in the Greater 探花直播 (GBSLEP) region with free specialist early years workshops and webinars.
It was this, as well as the project鈥檚 desire to fill skills gaps in the sector, that encouraged West Smethwick Enterprise (WSE) to jump on board.
鈥淪kills gaps have grown over recent years,鈥� says Laura Richmond, Director of Children Services at WSE. 听
鈥淭here is a large proportion of people who don鈥檛 understand the skills required to fulfil the different roles within the sector and the expectations on practitioners have continued to grow, despite the training, pay and opportunities not growing with them.鈥�
Alongside this, WSE noticed a desire among families to be made aware of work opportunities within the early years sector.
鈥淢any of these people do not have the skills or knowledge to work in the sector, but we want to support these people to develop the confidence to take those first steps,鈥� Laura says.
Providing a better understanding of the early years sector
WSE partnered with Newman and BCU to also support the early years workforce in having a better understanding of an early years worker鈥檚 role, and the key strengths and skills needed.
鈥淲e have highlighted the need for further hands-on experience to fully allow training practitioners to understand the role of a highly-skilled practitioner and what鈥檚 needed to support the children and families accessing early years provision,鈥� Laura says.
WSE has grown considerably in recent years, now working across five different sites. However, they were keen to work with bigger organisations 鈥� like BCU 鈥� in order to learn and expand further.
鈥淲e want to filter the knowledge we learn down to our current workforce, provide and support opportunities for continuing professional development courses,鈥� Laura explains.
New partnerships and better practice
WSE have been delighted with how the project is developing, with sessions resulting in new relationships being built and participants developing key skills.
The EYCPP project has also partnered with BCU criminology experts to help tackle unemployment in the East 探花直播 area.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to make new partnerships within the local community and upskill local users of the community, including parents of some of the children that attend our pre-school. It鈥檚 been very rewarding to see them develop,鈥� Laura says.
For the future, Laura hopes that the EYCPP project will build relationships with other larger organisations and empower people to progress in their chosen careers.
WSE also credits the support of BCU in helping them develop themselves as a charity.
鈥淲e have been able to work with a variety of individuals from different backgrounds, with different skillsets, which has allowed us to reflect and develop our practice for the better,鈥� Laura explains.
鈥淲e have valued the opportunity to develop our services and grow further, and this has been enhanced by working with Newman and BCU.鈥�
