Childcare apprenticeships can help your team to grow and develop, no matter what stage they’re at in their career. We offer childcare apprenticeships in Levels 2, 3, 4 & 5.
All the qualifications are work-based, so your apprentices earn while they learn, picking up essential skills along the way. They’re also fully funded by the Welsh Government.
Our childcare apprenticeships in Wales
We offer a range of childcare apprenticeships in CCPLD and Playwork (and one Diploma), giving you a choice of specialisms and ability levels to suit your organisation.
An apprenticeship in childcare can help your team learn how to provide stimulating and safe play that develops children’s social skills and imagination, communication abilities and linguistics, and so much more.
If you’re not sure which childcare apprenticeship is best suited to your nursery, private healthcare setting, NHS hospital or surgery, or other caring environments, be sure to get in touch and we’ll be able to talk you through your options.
CCPLD
- Level 2 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, and Learning Development
- Level 3 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, and Learning Development
- Level 4 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, and Learning Development
- Level 5 Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management of Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development Practice
Playwork
Level 2 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, Learning Development (CCPLD)
The CCPLD is a Level 2 apprenticeship, awarded by City and Guilds.
It covers the fundamental knowledge and understanding of the new All Wales Induction Framework for Early Years and Childcare.
There are four qualifications within the apprenticeship, and learners must complete all four to complete the Level:
- Knowledge: WJEC Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development: Core
- Competency: City & Guilds Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development: Practice
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Communication Skills Level 1
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Application of Number Level 1
Get your free guide to the CCPLD Level 2
Level 3 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, Learning Development
Just like Level 2, the Level 3 contains four qualifications:
- Knowledge: WJEC Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development: Core*
- Competency: City & Guilds Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development: Practice
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Communication Skills Level 2
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Application of Number Level 2
*If your team member has already completed the Knowledge core qualification at Level 2, they won’t need to repeat it at Level 3
Get your free guide to the CCPLD Level 3
Who are the Level 2 and Level 3 CCPLD childcare apprenticeships for?
This apprenticeship programme is perfect for:
- Post-16 learners in Wales
- Those working or seeking work
- Staff working in regulated childcare settings, with families and children under the age of 8
- Staff working in NHS children’s services
- Staff working with families and children aged 0-19, including child health settings
Both apprenticeships are designed to deepen a learner’s knowledge and understanding of:
- Safeguarding
- Health and Safety
- The core principles and values which underpin children’s care, play, learning and development
- How to apply practice, child-centred approaches
- How to make a positive contribution to children’s care, play, learning and development
- Ways of working within the sector
- Forms of effective practice
Level 4 Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, Learning Development (CCPLD)
The Level 4 Apprenticeship in CCPLD is an advanced qualification that prepares apprentices for leadership and management in a childcare setting. At this level, they’ll work on two themes – leadership and management, and professional practice.
The leadership and management units of the apprenticeship take a closer look at:
- Leading child-centred practice
- Theoretical frameworks for leadership and management
- Leadership and management for effective team performance
The professional practice elements give them the tools to:
- Understand a range of leadership and management concepts, theories and techniques
- Understand and apply child-centred approaches
- Understand different leadership and management styles and how these influence practice within services
- Give you the ability to work as an effective and independent learner, and as a critical and reflective thinker to make informed judgements (which includes using and interpreting data)
There are three pathways for achieving professional practice. Learners can work with families and carers to develop parenting skills, work with children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), or support children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
Get your free guide to the CCPLD Level 4
Level 5 Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management of Children’s Care, Play, Learning & Development: Practice
The Level 5 programme contains the Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management qualification, plus the Level 5 CCPLD. Apprentices study several mandatory units (below), before moving on to optional units which help them to specialise:
- Leading child-centred practice
- Theoretical frameworks for leadership and management
- Leadership and management for effective team performance
- Professional practice
- Lead and manage practice that promotes the safeguarding of children
- Lead and manage health, safety and security in the workplace
The assessment reflects their sophisticated understanding at a higher level, asking for a portfolio of evidence, a business project, and a professional discussion.
Get your free guide to the CCPLD Level 5
How could a Playwork qualification develop your teams’ skills and improve your learning environment?
Listen to the experience of Playwork Level 3 apprentice, Louise, who signed up for the qualification to register her after school club.
Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship in Playwork
There are 3 mandatory qualifications that combine to create the Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship in Playwork:
- Combined Knowledge and Competency Qualification: Level 2 Diploma in Playwork
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Communication Skills Level 1
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Application of Number Level 1
Get your free guide to the Foundation Level 2 Playwork Apprenticeship
Level 3 Apprenticeship in Advanced Playwork
There are 3 mandatory qualifications that combine to create the Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship in Playwork:
- Combined Knowledge and Competency Qualification: Level 3 Diploma in Playwork
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Communication Skills Level 2
- Essential Skills Wales Qualifications: Application of Number Level 2
Get your free guide to the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Advanced Playwork
Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork
The Level 5 qualification is a new framework designed for experienced playworkers who are developing, leading and reviewing permanent or temporary play provisions within a changing environment. It’s awarded by City & Guilds.
Learners must understand and apply the Playwork Principles in order to develop and implement an organisational framework for children and young people’s play.
It’s suitable for workers who want to progress into the following roles:
- Managers of playwork settings
- Playwork development officers
- Trainers or lecturers
It will also help apprentices to prepare for the generic management qualifications, PTTLS and a foundation degree, or degree.
To achieve the Level 5 Diploma in Playwork, learners must achieve 60 credits from 10 mandatory units. There are 381 guided learning hours, but they’ll need 600 hours to complete the full apprenticeship.