Teesside University launches UK’s first Early Years Teaching Degree Apprenticeship

Teesside University has launched the UK’s first Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship, a pioneering new route designed to strengthen the early years workforce and expand access to graduate-led practice across nurseries, preschools and early years settings.

The programme leads to a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) and has been developed in close collaboration with employers to address sector-wide challenges in recruitment, retention, quality and leadership.

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the sector, following the government’s publication of a new national employer grant designed to support early years providers to train and upskill staff.

The initiative will fund £9,000 per apprentice per year towards training, alongside an additional £8,000 per apprentice to help employers cover costs such as backfill, training time and National Insurance, ensuring early years providers can train their workforce without incurring additional costs.

This support forms part of a wider £3.2m package aimed at boosting workforce quality and improving outcomes for young children. Aimed at level 3 qualified staff or new recruits working with children aged five and under, the first cohort of the Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship is due to start at Teesside University in June 2026.

The qualification can also be delivered as part of a closed cohort for nursery and academy chains who may have multiple learners wishing to start the apprenticeship.

Delivered over three years through blended learning, Teesside’s new degree apprenticeship builds deep expertise in pedagogy, safeguarding, inclusion, multi-agency working and early childhood development.

At an institution which was recently rated outstanding by Ofsted for its apprenticeship provision, apprentices gain experience across multiple early years settings and graduate with the specialist skills required to lead practice and raise quality within their workplace.

Jo Burgess, Director of Professional Apprenticeships at Teesside University, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be the first university in the country to offer this transformational apprenticeship.

'Early years professionals play a vital role in shaping children’s futures, and this programme provides a high-quality, accessible route for talented practitioners to gain degree-level status while continuing to work in the settings they love.

'With the new government funding now available, there has never been a better time for employers to invest in their workforce and strengthen the quality of provision across the sector.'

The Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship offers a highly cost-effective development route for both levy and non-levy employers and supports settings to build leadership capacity, improve inspection readiness and enhance the quality of teaching and learning for children aged 0–5.

Employers interested in joining the first cohort can also contact apprenticeships@tees.ac.uk for further information.

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