Early Learning and Childcare Academy Application
Overview
Overview
Following the success of the 2024 Early Learning and Childcare Academy, the Department is pleased to launch a further Academy with Belfast Met College (BMC).
This Academy is funded by the Department for the Economy and delivered in partnership with BMC. It will provide up to 20 individuals with the skills to take up early learning and childcare roles with one of the supporting companies:
- Sleepy Hollow Group - Aldergrove, Crumlin, Holywood, Lisburn
- Clear Day Nurseries - Bangor, Belfast, Dundonald, Glengormley, Lisburn, Lurgan, Portadown
The Early Learning and Childcare Academy is an intensive 10 week training course providing practical knowledge and real-world experience required to work in the sector.
Those selected for the Academy will study accredited training modules covering
- safeguarding
- first aid
- fire safety
- food hygiene
- manual handling
The academy training will develop sector relevant skills including play facilitation, observation techniques, storytelling, and child development inclusive practice.
Supervised engagement with children will allow participants to apply their learning in real-world settings.
If you successfully complete the course, you will be guaranteed a job interview with a supporting company. An interview is not a guarantee of a job. Offers of employment will be solely at the discretion of the companies following the interview. When employed you will then have the opportunity to continue your studies through the Apprenticeship Programme.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Eligible applicants will be invited to an Information Session and an Interview which will be held week commencing 15 September 2025 at the Belfast Met Campus in Castlereagh.
TRAINING
Training will be Monday to Friday primarily in-person, supported through e-learning resource and facilitated visits to childcare settings and will commence on Monday 29 September 2025 and finish on Friday 12 December 2025.
- Participants will be paid a £180 weekly training allowance.
- Participants will be paid reasonable travel expenses covering their return journey from their place of residence to the college while in training.
- Participants may be eligible for assistance with childcare costs while in training.
Essential Criteria
Applicants must:
- be at least 18 years old
- have a right to work and to undertake Assured Skills Training in the UK at the point of application and not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required in order to progress to interview.
- Evidence of these criteria will be required not later than 15 September 2025 if selected for interview
**Applicants should be aware that the companies may apply additional right to work criteria at point of employment and a job offer is not guaranteed.
Shortlisting Criteria
Whilst there are no minimum level of qualifications required to apply for the Belfast Met Early Learning and Childcare Academy, preference will be given to applicants with Level 1 or higher English and Maths (equivalent to GCSE D-G).
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If living outside Northern Ireland – by accepting an offer of a place on this pre-employment training Academy, you are committing to attending training and pursuing a job opportunity with one of the supporting companies based in Northern Ireland.
Applications Open
Applications are welcome from everyone who meets the essential criteria and are particularly welcome from persons returning to work from a period of caring for their children or other family members.
If you have a disability and require assistance in completing this form please email assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk or by telephoning 028 9041 6972.
Correspondence Regarding Your Application
All correspondence relating to your application will be via email from assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk. It is your responsibility as applicant to act as required within the given time frame.
Email whitelisting helps ensure that important messages from known senders won’t end up in the spam folder.
To whitelist the assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk email address, you may wish to:
- Open your email client and navigate to the settings.
- Find the option to create a new filter or add a new contact.
- Add the email address assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk as a known contact/safe sender
- Save the changes.
The exact steps may vary depending on the email client you are using.
If you do not receive an email about your application by 10 September 2025 please contact assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk and put Early Learning and Childcare Academy in the subject line.
To find out how we manage your information please see privacy notice below:
https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/assured-skills-academies-privacy-notice
If you wish to make a complaint about the Assured Skills programme, please email assured.skills@economy-ni.gov.uk or telephone 028 9041 6941.
Audiences
- Academy Participants
Interests
- Academies