Happy National Apprenticeship Week 2025!

It’s National Apprenticeship Week this week! Did you know that early years apprenticeships have been one of the most popular apprenticeships in the UK over the last few years?

An apprenticeship is a great way to learn – getting real first-hand experience in nurseries, all while being paid. At Raised In we’re proud to have 15 early years apprentices training on the job in our Raised in Bristol nurseries with 11 of those due to complete their qualification this year! 

We pay our apprentices the Real Living Wage – £12 per hour due to rise to £12.60 from April (against the current Apprentice Minimum Wage of just £6.40 per hour). Not only that but in a sector that has been traditionally undervalued, at Raised In we believe in rewarding hard work so when a Raised in Bristol apprentice qualifies, their pay will increase to reflect their skillset.

The Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification is one of the most sought-after criteria early years employers look for when hiring. When you study for a Level 3, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the stages of child development, learn how to plan and provide effective care through teaching and learning, learn the assessment criteria to track and assess children’s development, understand and apply safeguarding policies and procedures, and collaborate with parents, carers, colleagues, and other professionals. 

"Since beginning the Level 3 apprenticeship I feel a lot more confident to share my ideas with others and feel I've developed my own practice styles and approach"

– Claudia, Level 3 Early Years Apprentice

At Raised In we also encourage continued professional development and lifelong learning within our team. Recently, Nursery Manager Robyn from Raised in Bristol at the Greenway Centre completed her Level 5 apprenticeship as an Early Years Lead Practitioner, passing with Distinction – congrats Robyn!

“I chose to do my Level 5 because giving up work and attending uni was not for me and I realised I could get the equivalent qualification through the apprenticeship route.

I initially did my Level 3 childcare qualification and Level 3 management via apprenticeship too and it was definitely my preferred way of learning. Getting to put into practice what you are being taught and reading about makes it much more fulfilling, rather than sitting at a desk where there is not much opportunity for practical learning.

I would recommend the Level 5 Lead Practitioner qualification to any educator who may want to become a room leader or take the next steps into nursery management in the future. It helps you to develop skills to tackle difficult situations, understand your own management style and provides you with plenty of knowledge that will help you along the way.”

– Robyn, Nursery Manager & Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner

Thanks to a generous Levy donation from Bristol City Council via the Western Training Provider Network’s Share to Support Scheme, we’ve been able to recruit more apprentices to the Raised in Bristol team since 2022. Check out the case study on the WTPN website here.  

You can find out more about working with Raised in Bristol on our careers page and for more info on how to apply for an early years apprenticeship check out this blog on the GOV website.