Entry Requirements
There will be an initial assessment to assess your current maths, English and digital skills. For the Early Years Skills Bootcamp, you will need to be working at Level 1or above in maths and English. Where identified, you will be offered IAG on options available to you to work towards Level 2 qualifications in maths and English, to support your skills and qualifications when working in the Early Years Education sector. After the initial assessments, there will be an interview to discuss your prior skills and knowledge, plans for progression and your suitability for the Skills Bootcamps. You are required to have a DBS certificate when working in this sector. If you do not currently have a DBS certificate through your current employer/the update system, it is a requirement that a DBS application is submitted within 14 days of you starting the Skills Bootcamp. ACL will support you with this.

Qualification Aim/Level
The Early Years Skills Bootcamp is designed for candidates who wish to enhance their skills, knowledge and professional behaviours at an intermediate level. Upon successful completion of this Skills Bootcamp, learners will have the opportunity to interview with Early Years employers or progress onto an accelerated L3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship.

What Will Happen At My First Lesson
The first week of your course will include Study Skills. Good Study Skills are vital to ensure you gain the best from your course. The Study Skills session will give you the opportunity to discover the best way that you can learn and fully understand the requirements of the course.

Assessment Methods
Questioning during learning sessions Quizzes Observations Online assessments Portfolio of learning Work based project and presentation.

Who is this course for?
The Early Years Skills Bootcamp is for individuals that are currently working in or seeking employment in Early Years Education and would like to develop their knowledge and skills of working with young children in an Early Years environment.

What can I expect to learn?
On this Skills Bootcamp you will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in a range of areas within Early Years Education, including child development, supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities, the value of play and communication skills. You will also gain knowledge on safeguarding children, planning for and identifying risks and working in line with Ofsted requirements and the Early Years Framework. You will gain valuable skills and knowledge for working in the sector and you will be signposted to any areas of additional learning identified in your individual learning plans. Employability skills will be delivered throughout the programme, starting from induction and continuing through to course completion. You will receive post-course support into your chosen progression path. Woven into each session will be interview techniques, professional behaviours and resilience and confidence building support. Additionally, online learning will develop CV writing and employability skills.

How will I learn?
The Early Years Skills Bootcamp sessions will run over 12 weeks with 5 hours delivery each week, totalling 60 hours of guided learning. Learners will have a dedicated tutor who will provide the weekly learning sessions via MS Teams/classroom. The tutor will set SMART targets and advise learners of any wider reading or learning required. Opportunities for 1:1s to review progress and plans will be available to learners. There will also be 25 hours of independent learning which will be accessed online. There is an optional 5-day work experience opportunity, where you will gain valuable experience of working in an Early Years setting.

How will I know how well I am doing?
A tutor will monitor progress throughout the Skills Bootcamp by assessing contributions during the learning sessions, including any evidence created during this time. The tutor will observe learning activities and provide feedback via a learning log, advising on any developmental actions that will benefit the learner and prospective employers/current employers.

How much work will there be?
There will be 60 hours of guided learning hours taught by the course tutor and approximately 25 hours of independent learning to complete. It will be beneficial to revisit learning notes taken during the taught sessions and you may choose to do additional reading/learning on areas you identify whilst on the course.

What will I need for the course?
Learners will need access to a laptop/PC with MS Office software. A webcam will be required and headset with a microphone to enable you to participate with online aspects of the course. If you do not have access to this equipment, please contact us to discuss.

What can I do next?
Upon completion of this Skills Bootcamp, learners could consider progressing onto the accelerated L3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship at ACL. Completing the Early Years Skills Bootcamp allows an accelerated route to complete the L3 Apprenticeship. Our tutors and Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Officers are available to provide further guidance and advice with your course progression plans or to support you with your employment plans.

Further Information
For all enquiries regarding this course please contact: skillsbootcamps@essex.gov.uk.