Nursery employment programme ready to launch for veterans and partners
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is delivering paid training and work experience placements for armed forces veterans and veterans’ partners thanks to a grant from The Veterans’ Foundation.
NDNA‘s Childcare Works supported employment project will offer a training pathway to a fulfilling career in early education and care to interested veterans and partners of veterans. Participants on the programme will be employed by NDNA as Trainee Nursery Assistants (TNAs) and paid for 16 weeks.
The charity has been awarded funding from The Veterans’ Foundation to deliver its Childcare Works training and employment project to seven successful applicants. NDNA is looking for those individuals who can bring their own life experience and unique skills to a childcare setting. Before starting a placement they will receive the right knowledge and training.
Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said:
“We are delighted to be able to support veteran servicemen and women, giving them a supported route into a rewarding career working with young children. We are very grateful to The Veterans’ Foundation which has recognised the wonderful opportunity that Childcare Works can offer veterans and their partners.
“NDNA’s Childcare Works project is a tried and tested, paid, 16-week employment programme supporting veterans or their partners to undertake training and work placements in childcare that can lead to fulfilling employment. It also helps us to support a more diverse workforce in nurseries which broadens the learning opportunities for our youngest children.
“This unique opportunity is open to candidates wherever they live in England and Wales. Our trainers have years of experience in training and supporting those who are looking for a change in career. They just need to have a passion for supporting children’s learning and development and a willingness to learn. We do the rest.”
Jane Gurney, CEO, Veterans’ Foundation said:
“We are delighted to support the National Day Nurseries Association through our grant for the Childcare Works programme. This excellent initiative will help former members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans and their partners, to build rewarding new careers in childcare. At the Veterans’ Foundation, we’re proud to fund projects that create meaningful opportunities and strengthen communities, and Childcare Works does exactly that.”
The Childcare Works programme will be recruiting from Monday 17 November for TNAs to begin in January 2026. They will start with a four-week training period on specific skills and knowledge that a trainee nursery assistant requires to be able to start work in a setting, including some childcare-specific Level 2 qualifications.
This is followed by a 12-week placement in a nursery local to the trainee, through NDNA’s extensive network of member nurseries across England and Wales. The TNAs are provided with ongoing mentor support by the project team throughout the programme.
The aim is to provide the right level of support to veterans from start to finish, helping them toachieve a positive employment outcome. NDNA helps with application forms, right to work documents and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications as well as allowances for uniforms, care for dependents, Broadband and travel, up until receipt of the first salary payment.
To qualify to be a placement provider setting for the Childcare Works programme, nurseries must be able to provide a suitable job role for a candidate for 12 weeks.
If you are interested in either applying for a place or hosting a placement for a trainee, please contact: [email protected] or call 01824 730543.
Notes to editors:
NDNA:
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is the national charity representing children’s nurseries across the UK.
We are the voice of the 21,000-strong nursery sector, an integral part of the lives of more than a million young children and their families. We provide information, training and advice to support nurseries and the 250,000 people who work in them to deliver world-class early learning and childcare. Working closely with local and national governments in England, Scotland and Wales, we campaign on the cost, choice and quality of childcare to benefit nurseries, families and the economy.
The Veterans’ Foundation
The Veterans’ Foundation is one of the country’s leading military charities. It was set up in 2016 to raise funds to help charities provide vital support to our armed forces’ community. These include those serving, veterans and their families with a range of needs, including mental health, physical therapy and rehabilitation, homelessness and education and training. Since 2016 the Foundation has raised more than £23 million1 and awarded 1,100 grants to more than 450 small and medium-sized charities and charitable organisations that deliver life-changing projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- England
- Wales
- Childcare Works
- early education
- early years
- England
- NDNA
- Wales
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