Council joins pilot to boost early years recruitment offering £1,000 to people who join sector for six months

Funded through the Department for Education, the pilot will look to offer a one-off payment of £1,000 to people who join the early years sector and stay for a minimum of six months.

The pilot runs until March next year and is open to those who have not worked within the sector for the previous six months.

A recent report by Ofsted reported that the average number of preschool places per 100 children in the West Midlands was 20.9, with Telford and Wrekin faring above the average at 21.7.

The council said that it is hoped that the pilot scheme will attract people from Telford and Wrekin into the sector and encourage them to build a career within early years.

The council's cabinet member for children, young people, education, employment and skills, Councillor Shirley Reynolds, said: "Across the country, we have seen increasing challenges in recruiting people into the early years profession, so we're delighted to be one of only six authorities to be chosen to take part in this pilot.

"We hope the financial incentive will give people that last bit of encouragement to explore a career in early years.

"We know that there are a number of positions currently available in the borough that need to be filled, with many offering training to get people started.

"Working with young children can be incredibly rewarding and staff can have a profound and long-lasting impact on a child’s life.

"I'd urge anyone interested to speak to our early years team for more information on how the pilot scheme will work."