CHILDMINDERS in Burnley could pick up £600-worth of free training as part of a new project in the borough. A new three-year Burnley Challenge Fund scheme will provide support for existing childminders and encourage new recruits to take up the profession.
Organised through New Era Enterprises, Burnley College and Lancashire County Council social services staff, the project offers a range of training courses at the college, the setting up of local groups of childminders and individual advice sessions.
From April, grants will be available to help potential childminders set up in business.
"By improving and expanding childminding and after-school care we can give more parents the opportunity to find work,'' said council leader Kath Reade, chair of the Burnley Challenge Fund Management Committee.
"The project not only supports existing childminders but will actively encourage more people to turn to childminding as a profession,'' she added.
Courses on offer to the over 100 existing childminders in Burnley and people interested in becoming a childminder are a 10-week introductory course on care in the home, which normally costs £36, and National Vocational Qualification courses in childcare and education and in playwork, both worth around £600.
The courses start in September. Places are limited so people should contact Julie Thornborough of New Era Enterprises on 01282-450536 as soon as possible for more details.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article