Home from Home Nursery proprietor, Nicola Law, has maintained a strong commitment to the Apprenticeship programme since 2006 with over 20 apprentices having completed their qualifications.

Nicola explained that the business benefits are often underestimated by employers. Whilst an effective apprenticeship programme requires investment from the employer in terms of on-the-job training, the benefits include having ‘home grown’ staff, who learn and absorb the values and ethos of your organisation from the start. Employing apprentices also enabled Nicola to train new staff affordably in preparation for expanding the nursery to include a Toddler Unit, as well as being able to staff the setting throughout well above the minimum legal ratios. This has contributed to the exceptionally high quality standards which saw the nursery awarded 17 out of 17 ‘outstanding’ judgements during its OFSTED inspection in 2009. A further benefit has been the ability to cover staff absences with apprentices who know the children and families, rather than the more expensive option of agency staff, who don’t have such strong relationships with the children or the understanding of quality standards and ethos.

In 2010, the nursery was Highly Commended for its commitment to Apprenticeships at the South East Learning & Skills Awards. Nicola says that "employing apprentices has been, and remains, a key part of our workforce strategy, helping us to offer a truly outstanding pre-school experience to the children in our community".