Essex County Council has launched a £1.4 million bursary scheme to support early years staff to progress in their careers.

The Poppins Bursary scheme will include fully funded courses for early years employees who may be new to the sector, delivered by training provider ACL Essex. Training is also available for people looking to return to the sector after a career break or gain formal accreditation. Grants will also be available to help new childminders set up a business. 

The bursary is being funded through the council’s Levelling Up fund, as well as ACL’s Adult Education Budget, which comes from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

This bursary looks to create at least:

·       90 new childcare places within childminder settings 

·       480 new childcare places in nursery type settings 

·       75 specialist practitioners to support children with SEND

Councillor Louise McKinlay, deputy leader of Essex County Council and cabinet member for levelling up, communities and business engagement, said: “The new bursary will help create new job opportunities and apprenticeships, and increase the qualified workforce we need to increase the number of early years places.”

Councillor Beverley Egan, cabinet member for children’s services and early years, said: “The new Poppins Bursary supports our commitment to improving recruitment in the early years and childcare sector. Alongside our ‘Make a change. Build a future campaign’, it is helping to raise awareness of early years and childcare as a brilliant career option in Essex and the opportunities that are available.”

Essex practitioners can find out more or take up a course paid for by the new Poppins Bursary by emailing [email protected]