This year, Bright Horizons is dedicated to enrolling 700 apprentices across the UK, including supporting 400 existing employees and 300 new recruits.

The recruitment drive is part of the celebration during National Apprenticeship Week 2022, which is running from February 7 to 13. The week brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunities that they bring.

Over the last two years, more than 400 Bright Horizons apprentices have successfully achieved an apprenticeship qualification. They have increased their knowledge, which has enabled them to thrive in their careers and make a positive impact to the children at Bright Horizons and their families.

Janine Leightley, HR director at Bright Horizons, said:

“Bright Horizons is committed to delivering the very best early years education. I am excited to see even more of our own employees get involved in our apprenticeships, as well as welcoming new faces to our Bright Horizons family. We have long term partnerships with high-quality learning providers who deliver apprenticeship learning both online and face to face. All learning is delivered in a way which enables our apprentices to be successful and can be adapted to meet individual learning styles and differentiated to support everyone.”

There are a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available at Bright Horizons, but none are more popular than its Early Years Apprenticeships. Early years apprentices will work and study towards a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner or Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship through work-based learning. Apprenticeships also include Level 1 and 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English.

The apprentice scheme at Bright Horizons and its 2022 Graduate Programme, which kicks off in March, are an integral part of the company’s drive to elevate the status of early years professionals – reinforcing their vital role as key educators and workers in the wider economy; as expert partners to parents; and as important support service providers for employers and organisations who want to nurture fulfilled and productive careers for their staff.

In 2021, Bright Horizons joined The 5% Club, an industry led initiative focused on accelerating the recruitment of apprentices, graduates, and sponsored students.

The 5% Club is a movement of more than 500 employers providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities to develop the skills and talents people need to become more employable and create meaningful careers. Companies joining The 5% Club commit to raising the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduates on formal programmes to 5% of their total workforce within five years.

To understand more about how an early years apprenticeship at Bright Horizons offers the chance to gain a nationally recognised qualification that will help with a rewarding, worthwhile and fun career in childcare, then please visit the Bright Horizons website.