A call has been launched to get top quality candidates to train as nursery teachers in Huddersfield – and there are cash incentives for them to enter the industry.

The profession has suddenly become more attractive following the best-ever Ofsted results in Yorkshire and a range of cash incentives for trainees and employers

Across the region 86% of nurseries and other early years providers are now rated as good or outstanding – up 21% on 2010.

Tax-free bursaries of up to £9,000, plus training fees of £7,000, are being made available to get graduates working with young children.

Graduates already employed in nurseries are also being encouraged to train. Their fees will be paid and their employers receive funding to support them while training.

Huddersfield University is one of seven providers of early years teacher training in Yorkshire.

Stella Ziolkowski, director of quality and workforce development at the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), based at Bradley, said: “It’s great that the vast majority of nurseries in our home town are achieving good or outstanding Ofsted ratings and fantastic to see how far we’ve come as a sector.

“Now is a great time to train to become an early years teacher with the bursaries and assistance with course fees available.

“We particularly encourage people who are already employed in nurseries and forging rewarding careers working with young children to apply.

“NDNA shares the Government’s vision for a well-trained, highly-qualified workforce in early years and teachers, alongside all levels of nursery workers, can play a huge role in getting young children off to the best educational start, supporting them to achieve their full potential through school and life.”

Charlie Taylor, chief executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) added: “We know that the quality of early education is higher when practice is led by an early years teacher.

“In order to ensure we continue to give the very youngest children in our communities the best start in life and continue to develop the workforce, we need more excellent early years teachers joining the profession.”