Does the Childcare NVQ still exist? - Forum

The Childcare NVQ no longer exists (see our qualifications section for more info about this), but there are a number of equivalent qualifications available to help you gain the skills you need to work in childcare.

They are called Certificates/Diplomas for the Children & Young People's Workforce and are mainly accredited by CACHE - you can find numerous providers offering them here.

At Level 3, you complete a number of mandatory modules and then choose one of three optional pathways:

• Early Learning and Childcare
• Social Care
• Learning, Development and Support Services

As these are all work-based qualifications, you do need to have a job in order to be able to complete them. If you don't, your best bet is to contact training providers in your area and ask for assistance in finding a position. Many offer dedicated services to help you with this.

Finally, in terms of cost: yes, there is a cost involved, but you also have the possibility of applying for funding from the Government to help you complete the qualification. Again, get in touch with the training provider to see what is available.

On a final note, if you are looking to work in a Nursery environment then you don't necessarily need a qualification - previous work experience may be sufficient. Having said this, a qualification will not only be highly appreciated by potential employers but will also make you much more more confident in your own skills, so we suggest going for it!

Best of luck,

The Findcourses.co.uk Team

Hi, it's not called an NVQ anymore but it's basically the same thing. I really don't understand why they made all of this fuss changing the names and structure of everything, it's just confusing.

Not just for us learners but for the trainers too! Pretty sure the government don't have much of a clue either...