Sports coaches, chefs, apprentices and beyond - building a career in the diverse early years sector!

Working in the early years sector is rewarding, challenging and exciting all in one – a profession in early years is a career, not just a job, and there is plenty of room for progression.

And not only that, there are many aspects and routes to a career in the early years that you may never have even considered.

The childcare side

If you are passionate about working with children and teaching, there are not many jobs out there that allow you to get messy, combine playing with learning, and develop in an environment where no two days are ever the same.

If the practitioner route is your goal, you can work your way up from an Apprentice practitioner to a Nursery Manager and beyond, from Level 2 as far as Level 7!

From Level 3 to Deputy – Jamie-Lee’s story…

“I started at Kids Planet as a level 3 apprentice in 2017. On completion of the early years educator apprenticeship, I was delighted to be promoted to room leader and third in charge - initially in toddlers and then in the pre-school room. I was keen to further develop my knowledge and skills, so in September 2021 I started the level 5 EYLP Apprenticeship, which has already supported my career progression.

Just a few months after starting the course, I accepted the position of acting deputy manager of Kids Planet Frodsham. Working towards the EYLP standard has undoubtedly supported my confidence in this role. I have found the course content to be engaging and interesting, and I feel thoroughly supported by my dedicated assessor. I would highly recommend an Apprenticeship with Kids Planet Training Academy.”

What else can I do if childcare might not be my thing?

While working with the children might be the obvious route in the childcare sector, at Kids Planet, our very own dedicated Training Academy has developed other routes within the sector, such as:

• Sports coaches - Kids Planet Training Academy provides a Traineeship Programme that supports sports coaches into early years settings.

Speaking about the role of a sports coach, Nathan Cook, Sports Development Officer, says: “Our role is getting the children outside, getting their physical development up, and the children love it. I think it’s the best thing that the nurseries have, the sports capabilities.”

• Chef Academy – As part of our commitment to providing children with the healthy, nutritious food they need to learn and grow, the Training Academy has put together a programme of learning for Apprenticeship Chefs.

   

• Outdoor learning accreditations – Udeskole and Forest School trained practitioners can fully explore and practice the benefits of being outdoors for children’s education, development and wellbeing.

   

• Support roles - Or maybe you want to get into office-based roles such as Marketing, HR, Finance, IT, Maintenance, Procurement, Customer services, Training, and much more.

Whatever your passions, skills or dreams, the dedicated team at Kids Planet Training Academy want to help you realise the world is your oyster.

Training on the job over going to university

If you consider a vocational studying route over a University degree, you can benefit from:

• Earning a salary whilst you learn
• No need to get into debt
• Job security from the outset
• The ability to work your way up much faster

We are always looking for enthusiastic and passionate people to join our Kids Planet family. We pride ourselves on valuing our employees and recognising hard work – we provide progression, training and support throughout your career with us.

Meet our team – free virtual event!

Not sure about going to Uni but want to find out more from experts about your options?

Join our virtual clearing event, For prospective college leavers (aged 18) to learn more about starting a career in the early years sector and specifically at Kids Planet, on Friday 19th August at 2pm.