From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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In 2019, First 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families, set out a vision for early learning and care (ELC) and other policies for young children throughout 2019-2028. It included a number of targets related to the workforce for ELC and school-age childcare (SAC), including the development of a new Workforce Plan for ELC and SAC, including childminders.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is delighted to publish the report, ‘Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028’. This plan sets out a series of actions to meet the workforce related targets in First 5 and includes an implementation plan for the next three years (2022-2024).
The Nurturing Skills monitoring committee was established in 2022 with the role of overseeing the implementation of Nurturing Skills. The Terms of Reference for the Monitoring Committee can be found in the link below. The Monitoring Committee has prepared the first annual report on implementation progress for 2022 and both English and Irish versions of this report are below.
On 8th December, 2023 the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, announced a pilot of a new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund. The new Fund aims to assist early years educators to pursue early learning and care (ELC) qualifications that have been approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) while continuing to work in the sector, in line with commitments in Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028.
Further information on the new Pilot Nurturing Skills Learner Fund can be found here: Nurturing Skills Learner Fund
Watch the video from our Launch Webinar below:
Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare 2022-2028
Scileanna a Chothú: An Plean Lucht Oibre don Luathfhoghlaim agus Cúram agus Cúram Leanaí ar Aois Scoile 2022-2028
Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC), 2022-2028 Monitoring Committee 2022-2028
Annual Monitoring Report on the Implementation of Nurturing Skills, 2022
Tuarascáil Mhonatóireachta Bhliantúil maidir le Cur i bhFeidhm Scileanna a Chothú, 2022
Annual Monitoring Report on the Implementation of Nurturing Skills, 2023
Tuarascáil Mhonatóireachta Bhliantúil maidir le Cur i bhFeidhm Cothú Scileanna, 2023
The process of publishing the Workforce Plan was an incremental one and there were extensive contributions from the sector. Below can be found the reports of the Terms of Reference for the Nurturing Skills Workforce Plan, Phase 1 Progress Report and 5 working groups reports proposal reports which all formed part of phase 2 consultation with sector representatives and key stakeholders.
Workforce Development Plan Phase 2 Working Groups Progress Report: Career Framework & Pathways Working Group
Workforce Development Plan Phase 2 Working Groups Report: Continuing Professional Development Working Group
Workforce Development Plan Phase 2 Working Groups Report: Training and Supports for Childminders Working Group