Norland launches Professional Association of Norlanders
21 March 2024
Norland is delighted to announce the launch of the Professional Association of Norlanders (PAN)
Available only to fully-qualified Norlanders, PAN reflects Norland’s commitment for over 130 years to the cultivation of outstanding professional early years practitioners to work with children and families.
In setting up PAN, Norland is continuing the pioneering journey begun by founder Emily Ward in 1892 when she established Norland as the world’s first educational institution to offer childcare training and created the profession of the nursery nurse.
Dedicated to raising the status and value of early years professionals, PAN offers its members the opportunity to be officially recognised as a member of a professional body, whilst also demonstrating a commitment to excellence in practice and continuing professional development (CPD).
Membership will provide a quality mark for Norlanders to signal that their practice reflects the highest standard and is in line with the latest developments of best practice and cutting-edge research. Significantly, it offers greater recognition of the professional status of Norlanders and additional reassurance for families when employing a PAN-accredited Norland Nanny.
It will provide a professional career pathway for Norlanders to become Norland-endorsed specialists in specific aspects of childcare and to pursue postgraduate qualifications through Norland, and it will also give them access to tailored courses, and discounts on CPD training and with trusted partners. Significantly, it offers greater recognition of the professional status of Norlanders and additional reassurance for families when employing a PAN-accredited Norland Nanny.
Dr Janet Rose, Principal at Norland, describes the new association as: “A professional vehicle to ensure members are kept informed of the best practice in the field, offering assurance to families that they are receiving the best quality care for their children. Our rigorous degree and diploma training is world-renowned for producing the very best professional early years practitioners, ensuring our graduates continue to be in high demand. PAN builds on this exceptional training and demonstrates the continuing outstanding professionalism and commitment of Norlanders throughout their careers.”
Nia Pike, Alumni Manager and a Norlander, said: “Membership of PAN is the start of a wider programme to enhance the professional development opportunities for our graduates. We have exciting plans to create postgraduate qualifications in early childhood education – a league of specialist Norlanders – to provide expert support on common parenting challenges. So, families should look out for the PAN accreditation when employing our graduates as a mark of the very highest quality.”
The launch of the Professional Association of Norlanders reflects Norland’s commitment for more than 130 years to providing outstanding early years training and education in order to cultivate outstanding professional early years practitioners. It forms part of its campaign to help elevate the esteem and ranking of childcare and the nanny profession, which is still considered by the Standard Occupational Classification system to be an unskilled role, even though Norland’s graduates undertake a full BA (Hons) degree and professional Diploma and employ a multitude of complex skills and knowledge working with children during the most significant period of their development.
The hard work put in by Norland graduates both during their rigorous degree and diploma training and throughout their professional careers comes with its rewards. Norlanders are highly sought after and uniquely benefit from 100% employment opportunities through their own in-house employment agency. In the last two years, the Norland Agency averaged 8 jobs for every Norlander seeking one. It offers average starting salaries of £40,000, rising to £65,000-£120,000 with experience, dependent on role and location.
