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Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has today announced the introduction of a new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund on a pilot basis, co-funded by the European Union through the EIST programme 2021 to 2027.
The new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund will support early years educators to undertake approved degree-level qualifications while continuing to work in the early learning and care (ELC) sector. It aims to help achieve the government objective of achieving a graduate-led workforce in ELC services by 2028.
The expansion of funding opportunities for early years educators to upskill was a key commitment in Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028. Nurturing Skills aims to build on the significant progress already made in raising skill levels across the workforce. Current data indicates that the proportion of early years educators with a relevant degree qualification has risen from 12% in 2012 to 37% in 2022. Nurturing Skills aims to increase this proportion to at least 50% by 2028.
The pilot Nurturing Skill Learner Fund will make a contribution of up to 90% of course fees for early years educators seeking to upskill by studying for a recognised ELC qualification at level 7 or 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications. It is designed to complement and add to other government financial supports, such as the Free Fees Initiative and SUSI grants. Funding will be provided directly to approved higher education institutions to reduce the upfront costs of studying for early years educators.
The new Fund aims to enhance the quality of ELC services, while supporting the professional development of early years educators, developing career pathways, and supporting recruitment and retention of staff in the sector.
Announcing the pilot fund, Minister O’Gorman said:
“It gives me great pleasure to announce the pilot Nurturing Skills Learner Fund. The research evidence is clear that the quality of early learning and care services is key to ensuring good outcomes for children, and that early years educators are the key to the quality of those services.
“I would like to recognise the dedication of the many early years educators who have already undertaken higher-level qualifications, often at considerable cost to themselves. While my department’s Learner Fund has already provided financial support to many, I know that the financial barrier to upskilling has remained high. This new pilot Fund aims to significantly reduce the barrier to early years educators’ professional development.”
The Nurturing Skills Learner Fund will be co-funded by the European Union through the ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training programme (EIST) 2021-27. It is included under the Skills and Lifelong Learning strand with the aim of promoting lifelong learning, in particular flexible upskilling and reskilling opportunities for all.
Applications for the Pilot Nurturing Skills Learner Fund will open in May 2024, via Pobal, to early years educators who have applied to approved higher education institutions, with a view to educators who are selected for the pilot receiving financial support for studies commencing in September 2024.
The current Learner Fund has since 2017 given financial support to 3,720 early years educators who have completed ELC qualifications at levels 7 and 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The current Learner Fund will continue to be available, with a higher level of post-award bursary contribution from 2024, to assist those who are undertaking degrees but are not part of the new pilot Nurturing Skills Learner Fund.
The reports mentioned are available at www.gov.ie/nurturingskills and gov.ie/First5.
Further information on the ESF+ programme in Ireland is available at: eufunds.ie.
To be eligible for financial support, courses must have been approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board for the ELC sector.