We are here to assist you with all your training needs. We can offer you advice and guidance on your career pathway to help you reach the top of your profession, if you wish.

Funding for professional training is available for:

Please call us on 0116 305 6555 for personalised advice and to request a funding form (please see criteria for professional funding below) Criteria for Funding Towards Professional Qualifications (pdf, 35kb)

To help choose your training provider have a look through our guidance leaflets:

Local training providers (pdf, 43kb)

Compare professional development fees (pdf, 24kb)- correct at the date of source

A guide to selecting training providers (pdf, 410kb)

Key questions checklist (pdf, 131kb)

For information on apprenticeships, please visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

For more information on the Common Core visit our information page

To enable you to decide which route to take towards Early Years professional Status - take a look at our recognised level 5 entry  routes to Early Years Professional Status (pdf, 30kb)

In order to gain the full EYP status, candidates will have to prove (show certificates) that they have English and Maths GCSE graded A*-C: (an adult learning level 2 English/Maths will not be accepted by the Universities) - This document explains how you can undertake a GCSE (pdf, 26 kb)

www.loucoll.ac.uk and follow links to 'Childcare' and then 'Foundation Degree in Children's & Young People Services'

www.nwhc.ac.uk and follow links to 'Higher Education Prospectus' looking for 'Foundation Degree (FdA) Early Years'

www.pengreen.org and follow links from 'Training base' to 'Qualifications' and 'The Pen Green Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree in Early Years In association with the University of Hertfordshire'

www.stephensoncoll.ac.uk and follow links from 'Higher Education' to 'Foundation Degree - Children's and Young People's Services (with Derby University)

www.open.ac.uk and follow links from 'Search the OU website' facilty for 'Foundation Degree in Early Years'

www.northampton.ac.uk/eyps and follow links from 'Undergraduate courses by subject' to 'Early Years Sector Endorsed FdA'

www.cwtcov.co.uk and perform a local search for 'Foundation Degree in Early Childhood studies'

For more information visit our Graduate leader setting support page and Early Years Professional Status page

In addition, we organise a range of core courses to support your on-going staff training needs. Please call us to request the latest copy of the Training Opportunities booklet. From 1.4.11, the booking fee for all general core and developmental courses will be £5 for childminders, £10 per person for practitioners on the Ofsted compulsory registers, and £20 for those on the voluntary register or working in the wider early learning sector. Please see the Training Opportunities booklet above for more information.

Once you have selected your core training requirements, please either pay online (please telephone 0116 305 6392 to check place availability first) or send a cheque, made payable to ‘LCC’ to room 100a, Early Learning & Childcare Service, County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA, together with the booking form.   Alternatively, if you have a credit note, you may call us on our booking helpline 0116 305 6392.  You are welcome to call this number at any time to check availability on courses or to confirm that we have received your payment.

Please take a look at our training page for all your training needs.

We would welcome your comments regarding the training courses offered.  Please call us on 0116 305 6555 to let us know what you think.

Child Protection Awareness programme for childminders (distance learning) (pdf, 17kb)

Linda Eady - Workforce Development Officer (core training, short courses, recruitment and retention) 0116 305 6182

Laura Upton - Workforce Development Officer (professional training) 0116 305 5827

Kiti Vekaria - Workforce Development Officer (core training, short courses, recruitment and retention) 0116 305 8205