Children's Workforce Development Council

Information about: Overseas qualifications

International qualifications for early years vary between different countries in terms of level and content.

When assessing your ability level in relation to UK standards, the level of your qualification is taken into account. Job roles in early years settings require certain academic skills so it is important to assess both the level of the study and the qualification content.

Evaluating qualification content consist of two parts.

Firstly, there needs to be an assessment of the job role which is linked to the qualification. International training in early years can be very different from that in the UK, and the jobs are not always directly comparable. For example, international early years awards may relate to different age ranges and skills, such as teaching of the 3-6-year-olds or the nursing requirements of the 0-3-years-old. Equally, those working in early years education and care may have training in social care or pedagogy.

Secondly, there needs to be a detailed mapping of modules to UK requirements. While it is not expected that courses are identical to those in the UK, there are specific requirements for training in areas such as first aid or child protection.

Evaluation of international awards in the UK is undertaken by National Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC), which also covers the National Reference Point for Vocational Qualifications (UKNRP).

You can also contact the Department for Education and Skills on 0870 000 2288 for further details on comparing international early years, childcare and playwork qualifications to the standards in the UK.