An Exeter resident has become one of the first people in the UK to enter the early years industry via a new training initiative designed to address the recruitment crisis.

Ali Noor is due to start in his position as a nursery assistant at Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Pre-School in Sowton in the coming weeks after successfully completing an early years Skills Bootcamp with leading training provider Realise.

Launched earlier in 2024, the early years Skills Bootcamps are designed to help people who have never worked in the sector before – or those who have worked in a nursery setting previously and are looking to return – to complete a course designed to help them gain the skills to secure a job.

“When I completed my degree, I was struggling to make much progress and kept getting turned away due to a lack of experience.

“Starting the Skills Bootcamp changed everything. It was a six-week online course and gave me all the skills I needed to start working in the early years sector and it certainly helped my confidence when I went to the interview.”

Realise is looking to create dozens of new recruits to the early years sector in Devon through the Skills Bootcamps, with the demand for nursery places rising dramatically after the extension of government funded childcare support.

Individuals who complete the Skills Bootcamp will be guaranteed an interview for a job with a local nursery and will automatically be eligible to begin a Level 3 apprenticeship when they secure employment.

As well as securing a guaranteed interview, those completing the Skills Bootcamp will also have access to career coaches while the process of receiving enhanced DBS checks will begin during the training.