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Early Years Apprenticeships
Early years education is the process of supporting, nurturing, and guiding the learning and development of young children during their most critical formative years. It plays a vital role in every community, from designing playful learning activities that spark curiosity to ensuring a safe, inclusive environment that supports children’s physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Studying early years as an apprenticeship allows you to gain practical, hands-on experience in a real working environment while developing valuable skills in communication, child observation, and safeguarding. It’s an ideal route if you are passionate about making a positive impact on children’s lives, want to build a rewarding professional career, and prefer earning while learning towards a recognised qualification.
Check out all current vacancies for early years apprenticeships.
Couldn't find a vacancy or want to hear about more opportunities? Get in touch.
Our Current Apprenticeships
Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship
Early Years Lead Practitioners are found in a range of educational settings which can include day nurseries, playgroups, nursery schools, pre-schools, kindergartens, primary schools, hospitals, social care educational settings, out of school environments and local authority provision. They engage with sector developments both locally and nationally, with a commitment to developing their own professional and educational competencies. This apprenticeship is ideal if you want to pursue more senior roles, take on more responsibility, lead others, and contribute to higher-level decision-making across the industry.
Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship
Early Years Educators work across a range of settings such as full day care, children’s centres, pre-schools, reception classes, playgroups, nursery schools, home based provision, hospitals, social care settings, out of school environments, and local authority provision.
Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship
Early Years Lead Practitioners are found in a range of educational settings which can include day nurseries, playgroups, nursery schools, pre-schools, kindergartens, primary schools, hospitals, social care educational settings, out of school environments and local authority provision. They engage with sector developments both locally and nationally, with a commitment to developing their own professional and educational competencies. This apprenticeship is ideal if you want to pursue more senior roles, take on more responsibility, lead others, and contribute to higher-level decision-making across the industry.
Starting Your Early Years Apprenticeship Journey
An apprenticeship is a form of employment, so the application process is slightly different to a normal course. You apply directly to the employer, and there may be an interview, just like a normal job application.
When we advertise vacancies on behalf of employers, you can apply directly for these opportunities. Vacancies can fill quickly, so if there are none available, we ask that you register your interest. This allows us to match you with future opportunities and let you know about new vacancies as they arise.
You can also choose to contact our team if you’d like guidance or support with your application, but this is optional — the process works for both independent applicants and those who want assistance.
If you’re ready to start, you can browse our live early years vacancies and make your application. If you can’t find a vacancy, want to register your interest so that we can tell you about new vacancies, or want some support with your application, get in touch via telephone, email, or fill out our form below and we’ll help you begin the process.
Registering Your Interest
Here’s what you need to do:
Prefer to speak to someone?
Contact our team today.
Call – 01992 411 572
Email – apprenticeship@hrc.ac.uk