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Nursery nurse career

I am currently on JSA and am desperate to find a job in childcare. I have been looking at nursery assistant jobs but most require NVQ level 3 or equivelent..so I cant apply. Now i know of a few training courses where i can do my NVQ but I am too old for a paid apprenticeship which means i need to find a job as well as doing my NVQ. I would like to have a job in a nursery and kill two birds with one stone. i just dont know where to start. or what would be the best thing to do. I am really desperate and dont want to just take a job in a shop just for the sake of it. I want to get a career. please help. all suggestions welcome and appreciated.
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Reply 1

ChemistBoy

16

It is perfectly possible to do your NVQ and work in a nursery full time (my partner did it) but it is hard work so you'll have to be prepared. I think it is a very rewarding, if low paid career, but you can use it as a stepping block into a teaching environment given that many schools now have their own attached nurseries.

Reply 2

Monkey Boy Ste

Like the poster above said you are able to do your NVQ whilst working in a nursery. I'm currently doing the Diploma in Childcare and Education, which if you're looking to do the NVQ is the equivalent from CACHE at Level 3 except college based, and whilst on placement in nurseries there have been people doing their NVQ's so it is possible, most definitely.

They do say it's hard work, but the bonus of it is once you have finished the NVQ the chances of you having a job after completion are very high because you're already settled into a nursery and they will want to take on a fully qualified nursery nurse.

I'm not too sure on who you could talk to if you were to take that path, possibly Connexions, or any other education based agency?

Reply 3

Beckz1205

OP

i have recently been trying to find a job in a nursery and sent out letters and cv's to about 20 nurseries in my area explaining my situation and explaining i am looking for an employer whilst i am studying. That was about 3 weeks ago and i have have only one letter telling me they didnt have any vacancies. like i said i am on JSA and i am desperate to get back into a job and off JSA. I am feeling really disheartened because i have heard nothing and I dont really know what i should do now. please help!!!

Reply 4

The Boosh

17

i think the goalposts have shifted and an nvq isn't enough anymore. i'm sure that people now need either a foundation degree or a bachelors degree. on phd fieldwork 12 months ago i was in an early years class where the teacher completed one qualification, only for the government to announce that now it was essential to take the next level up. as a consequence, she applied for a university course. there are other jobs roles in early years settings, but a nursery nurse may be out of reach (could somebody else confirm this?)

Reply 5

Monkey Boy Ste

The Boosh

i think the goalposts have shifted and an nvq isn't enough anymore. i'm sure that people now need either a foundation degree or a bachelors degree. on phd fieldwork 12 months ago i was in an early years class where the teacher completed one qualification, only for the government to announce that now it was essential to take the next level up. as a consequence, she applied for a university course. there are other jobs roles in early years settings, but a nursery nurse may be out of reach (could somebody else confirm this?)

A nursery nurse job is noway out of reach. Below are the qualifications you could have to work with children as a nursery nurse (Level 3) or as an assistant (Level 2) in a nursery.

The following qualifications allow you to work with children under supervision:

* CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Child Care and Education
* City & Guilds Level 2 Progression Award in Early Years Care and Education
* BTEC Certificate in Early Years Care and Education
* BTEC First Diploma in Early Years
* NVQ Level 2 in Early Years Care and Education awarded by CACHE, BTEC, and City and Guilds

Further qualifications allow you to work unsupervised:

* CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education. Many colleges ask for GCSEs/S grades or the equivalent
* BTEC National Diploma in Early Years. You may need four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3)
* NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education awarded by CACHE, Edexcel, and City & Guilds
* SVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education or the HNC in Childcare and Education

Providing you have one of them, or work towards getting one of them whilst working in a setting along side it, she should have no problems becoming a fully qualified nursery nurse within a year or two years depending on the course.

Reply 6

Monkey Boy Ste

Beckz1205

i have recently been trying to find a job in a nursery and sent out letters and cv's to about 20 nurseries in my area explaining my situation and explaining i am looking for an employer whilst i am studying. That was about 3 weeks ago and i have have only one letter telling me they didnt have any vacancies. like i said i am on JSA and i am desperate to get back into a job and off JSA. I am feeling really disheartened because i have heard nothing and I dont really know what i should do now. please help!!!

Have you ever thought about becoming a childminder?

Obviously this is only plausible though really if you have your own place. And you need to be 18. No qualifications are needed really, but you will need to do the following;

* attend the pre-registration briefing, where you will be told about becoming a childminder and receive an application pack
* complete the application and return it to your Ofsted regional centre
* have an Ofsted home inspection and an interview to make sure you are a suitable person to care for children
* have a medical check
* complete an introductory childminding training course and a first-aid course.

Otherwise try contacting someone like Learn Direct. They'll be able to talk you through the opportunities available to you, and how you can go about getting the required qualifications for the job you aspire to do.

Reply 7

The Boosh

17

i'm sure that's not the case for all jobs. perhaps school nursery's (funded by the state) require qualified teachers then.,

Reply 8

Monkey Boy Ste

It depends on your position in the school nursery. If you're just a nursery nurse then any of the above level 3 qualifications are acceptable, level 2 if you just want to be a nursery assistant. If you're the main supervisor, or nursery/early years 'teacher' I guess, then I imagine your qualification will need to be at degree level.

Reply 9

The Boosh

17

yeah that's probably it - to be employed as an early years teacher you need qualified teacher status (i.e. like my early years pgce). something has definately changed though.

Reply 10

Beckz1205

OP

im really losing the will to live with all this job searching now. ive had like 2 rejection letters in weeks after sending out so many letters. I hate having to go to sign on and having still not gotten anywhere. all i do is check the job centre plus website, check the telegraph and argus paper and thats about it. I'm stuck in a rut and im not sure what i can do now :frown:

Nursery nurse career

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