Scotland aims to improve diversity in early learning workforce
A new project to recruit more people from ethnic minorities into careers in early learning and childcare (ELC) has been launched in Scotland.
The £140,000 project will support more people from diverse backgrounds to take up funded ELC training and employment.
This comes as part of a wider programme to increase and diversify the ELC workforce by recruiting more men, people with disabilities and those with language skills, as well as those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd announced the latest funding while visiting women’s group Saheliya in Edinburgh. She said: “A skilled and diverse workforce is key to providing our children with high quality play and learning opportunities in their formative years.
“We are almost doubling the free provision of early learning and childcare from 600 hours per year to 1,140 hours. This gives us a great opportunity to increase the number of minority ethnic childcare staff and to create employment opportunities across the country.
“Working with children in these key early years of their development is incredibly rewarding and this is an exciting time to consider an ELC career.”
The Increasing Ethnic Minorities Within ELC Workforce Project will be delivered by CEMVO Scotland.
Colin Lee, Chief Executive of CEMVO Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to work towards increasing the ethnic diversity of the ELC workforce as this will not only help create a more culturally rich learning environment for children from across all backgrounds but also, will help create employment opportunities for ethnic minority communities that research shows experience higher rates of unemployment and poverty.”
Latest News
22/10/2025 - 14:06
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a new £2.7 million programme to deliver indoor air quality filters to hundreds of schools across the capital.
22/10/2025 - 09:45
Outlined in the Skills White Paper, plans include proposals for new V-levels, a vocational alternative to A-levels and T-levels, as well as a “stepping stone” qualification for students resitting English and maths GCSEs.
21/10/2025 - 09:56
Free specialist training is being made available to teachers in Wales to give them the knowledge to understand and respond to the challenges faced by adopted and care experienced children.
20/10/2025 - 09:52
Members of the newly formed Youth Select Committee have launched a call for evidence as part of their inquiry into Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education in secondary schools.
20/10/2025 - 09:37
A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to reach many of the most disadvantaged pupils.
