The European Commission has held an online webinar focused on improving continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities in early childhood education and care (ECEC).
Entitled ‘Reinforcing the continuous professional development of ECEC staff’, the webinar took place on 13 September. It formed part of the ‘Early childhood education and care in Europe’ series, which launched in March 2021. The series aims to increase the inclusivity of the ECEC sector and help to make it more professionalised.
The webinar examined the role of CPD in ECEC in Europe. Speakers included representatives from the Commission, ministries and research organisations from across Europe.
The first session gave an overview of local and national strategies and working methods for CPD in the ECEC sector. The Commission outlined its recommendations for facilitating CPD for ECEC staff. Representatives from France, Italy, Norway and Sweden presented strategies from their countries and regions.
Following the national and local overviews, the second session presented different forms of CPD. The focus was on professional learning communities, outlined in a presentation on a NESET report on transforming ECEC settings and primary schools. The session also highlighted the results of the Erasmus+ VALUE project, which aims to improve awareness and the value of diversity in ECEC practitioners through training and development.
More events in the series are planned for later in 2021. The ECEC in Europe news page provides details and recordings of all the events in the series.