More must be done to address falling apprenticeship starts in early years providers amid the sector’s staffing crisis, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector has said. Amanda Spielman has also warned against using apprentices in the early years sector to replace “skilled, experienced practitioners”, which “isn’t fair to children or apprentices” and “can’t be a long-term solution”. Spielman also said “Apprenticeships are a part of the solution to address declining staff numbers in the sector” however Ofsted reports show that the number of new apprentices starting in the sector had fallen from 27,000 six years ago to just 16,000 last year – a 40 per cent fall. Click here for more.
