
Coleg Cambria Wrexham to host inaugural childcare expo
The Childcare Show will take place on Wednesday, May 14, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.
The event will be held in the new £14 million Nant building at Yale, which is a health and wellbeing centre that features Iâl Spa, simulated hospital wards, and virtual reality environments.
The event is being organised by childcare assessor Lauren Lawrence, a former nursery manager with more than 10 years of experience in the sector.
The event will bring together more than 30 organisations and businesses with up to 100 students and their families, charities, and relevant stakeholders.
Ms Lawrence said: "Ultimately, it will be an opportunity for the learners and staff to showcase the amazing work that takes place here and out in the community.
"We wanted to celebrate that while promoting best practice and bringing childcare providers all under one roof at our cutting-edge Nant centre to engage and encourage the next generation of workers in this arena, because there is so much demand."
Ms Lawrence added: "The providers see our learners in a workplace setting but not the amazing facilities we have here, so it will be fantastic to show them the building, the training, and demonstrate the academic side of our programmes."
The event will see attendees from Levels 2 and 3 of the Children's Care, Play and Learning qualification.
Organisations such as the NHS, Forest School, Wrexham Family Information Service, quality assessors, and private nurseries have also signed up to attend.
Ms Lawrence said: "Childcare is an amazing and rewarding world to be in and can also act as a launchpad to many other areas due to the transferable skills, it is not just playing and looking after children, hence the need for these qualifications.
"There are so many options out there, but traditionally this hasn't been seen as a viable long-term career, a perception we want to change, starting with this event."
The childcare sector in Wales faces a high demand for qualified and trained practitioners, particularly for early education and childcare assistants and practitioners, due to government initiatives which have made provision more accessible.
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Ms Lawrence believes that by working together, they can make childcare a more attractive proposition for young people, given the jobs available within schools, day nurseries, the health service, play work and care settings, special needs units, the travel sector, and with private families who require nannies.
She said: "We are already being asked to make this an annual celebration so watch this space!"
For more information on the range of childcare programmes available at Coleg Cambria, visit their website.
To attend the event and for more information, email lauren.lawrence@cambria.ac.uk.

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