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IMPORTANT: RE-ISSUED PRESS RELEASE DUE TO ERROR

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON 1 MARCH 2010 CONTAINED FACTUAL INACCURACY.

FOR FURTHER CLARITY CALL MELISSA LOUGHRAN ON 0113 2904166.

In order to deliver the new Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People's Workforce in line with the government's 14-19 strategy, the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has agreed to allow full and relevant Level 2 vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) included in the Qualifications List for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, to continue to carry occupational competence for 16-19 year old college-based learners enrolling up to December 2010 only.  This includes the following: 

• CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Child Care and Education
• CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Child Care and Education
• Edexcel Level 2 BTEC First Diploma in Children's Care, Learning and Development (Subject to approval and inclusion on the Qualifications List for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage)

Allowing these qualifications to continue to confer occupational competence is a temporary measure pending the launch of a suitable package of learning for 16-19 year old college based learners with the new Level 2 Certificate at its heart. 

It is likely that this will mirror the revised Apprenticeship that will become available this autumn and which will include the new Level 2 Certificate. 

CWDC continues to work with awarding organisations and the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to develop the apprenticeship framework and will provide regular updates around ongoing development. 

Pauline Jones, Senior Programme Manager at CWDC, said: We are responding to the needs of 16-19-year-old college-based learners by allowing level 2 full and relevant qualifications included on the Qualifications List for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage  to continue to carry occupational competence.

This is a temporary, short-term measure to enable us to package the new Level 2 Certificate appropriately to meet the needs of 16-19 year old college based learners in line with the government's 14-19 strategy.

We are making significant progress on the delivery of the new qualifications and both the Level 2 Certificate and the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce will be available for all other learners from this August this year.

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Notes to editors 

1. For further information please contact CWDC Press and PR Officer Melissa Loughran on 0113 290 4166 or at comm_officer3@cwdcouncil.org.uk

2. Level 2 Certificate and Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce:

The new Level 2 Certificate and the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce will be available from August 2010.  Some training providers will be offering the new qualifications to 16-19 year olds college -based learners from September 2010.

The new Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People's Workforce will have mandatory level 2 units with an optional unit bank of level 2 and level 3 units, which will provide a bridge to the QCF Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce for those candidates wanting to progress onto the higher level qualification.

3. Apprenticeships:

A Level 2 Apprenticeship (featuring the Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People's Workforce) and an Advanced Apprenticeship (featuring the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce) will be available from September.

Additional elements contained within the apprenticeship framework will be revised to meet Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) requirements when they become available in the autumn, in order to meet the deadline for approval in March 2011.  The framework will include:

• Personal learning and thinking skills
• Key skills will change to become functional skills
• Additional mandatory knowledge units for apprentices to undertake within the diploma pathway
• Employee Rights and Responsibilities (ERR)

 An apprenticeship framework for Integrated Youth Support including an Apprenticeship at level 2 and an Advanced Apprenticeship at level 3 is also being developed and should be ready in Spring 2011.

4. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for all vocational qualifications closes to new starters on 31 December 2010. After that, all vocational qualifications will need to be in the Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF) and approved by sector skills councils.

5. The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) leads change so that the thousands of people and volunteers working with children and young people across England are able to do the best job they possibly can.

We want England's children and young people's workforce to be respected by peers and professionals and valued for the positive difference it makes to children, young people and their families.

We advise and work in partnership with lots of different organisations and people who want the lives of all children and young people to be healthy, happy and fulfilling. For more information visit: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk.