A leading day nursery group has announced 50 new apprenticeship positions across its settings in the South West.

Mama Bear’s Day Nursery & Pre-School group has launched the new apprenticeship programme, with an industry-leading starting pay rate, as a way to encourage people to consider a career in the early years industry.

Hoping to attract those studying childcare as well as anyone with an interest in childcare previously in other professions, such as retail and hospitality, Mama Bears hopes the competitive pay, attractive company benefits and commitment to career progression will interest a number of candidates.

The nursery group’s new Managing Director, Chris Marston, says the recruitment of quality staff as well as the wellbeing of current staff is one of his main priorities.

Chris said: “Apprenticeships have always been a fantastic way for us to find and develop talent at our nurseries so we have decided to offer a further 50 positions across the group.

“Our new apprenticeship pay rate of £7.50 per hour is considerably higher than competitors in the industry which is around the £4-£4.50 per hour mark. Introducing this level of pay is a revolutionary step in how we are doing things and this paired with our reputation for being a caring employer offering good job security and prospects, makes this programme an attractive opportunity for anyone looking for a head start in their career, or perhaps a new one altogether.

“The covid-19 pandemic has, of course, proven extremely difficult for many with redundancies, extended furlough and uncertainty around job security. We’re hoping to provide those in less stable industries who have always had an interest or passion for childcare, with the tools and training to become early years practitioners.

“Many of our previous apprentices have moved on to qualified roles in the business including team leaders and nursery managers. We want to attract the next generation of talent within the organisation.”

Mama Bear’s provides apprentices with individual training programmes and the opportunity to explore any areas of specialist childcare which interest them. 

Mama Bear’s bespoke apprenticeship training scheme includes ongoing learning support, with daily hands-on experience in addition to a mixed programme of mandatory and voluntary training sessions, held twice-weekly. The apprentices also contribute to the monthly theme planning and day-to-day activity planning of the nursery where they are based, and are involved in regular staff meetings.

Chris continued: “Apprenticeships are no longer solely for school and college-leavers, they provide a vital stepping-stone for anyone looking for a stable and rewarding career.”

Established in 2002 Mama Bear’s runs nurseries across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon which are consistently rated by OFSTED as Good or Outstanding. 

Anyone aged over 17, not in full-time education or other funded training, and interested in learning more about Mama Bear’s apprenticeship scheme can email recruitment@mamabear.co.uk or visit the website at www.mamabear.co.uk