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<p>The Department continues to support employer trailblazer groups to develop new
apprenticeship standards for the early years workforce and to access funding for apprenticeship
training. Organisations with a pay bill of less than £3 million each year are only
required to pay 5% of the training costs for apprentices (within the relevant funding
band). Alongside this, the Department is investing £20 million for in-service professional
development and training for pre-reception early years practitioners in targeted disadvantaged
areas from 53 local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also continues to work
closely with the sector to look at issues that might be affecting recruitment and
retention in the early years workforce. For example, the Fatherhood Institute has
been awarded a grant to develop tools and resources aimed at increasing gender diversity
in the early years sector. In partnership with Ofsted the Department has also supported
a project led by the Early Years Alliance to explore and respond to workload burdens
in the sector.</p>
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