A new course has been designed to attract women from ethnic minorities in Sussex into childcare, where there is a much-needed demand for services.

Not only has the result been a success for 15 women who passed their qualifications but their experience of the world and language is helping children who do not speak English as a first language.

Takako Higgs is one of the women who has benefited from the course.

She loves working with children so when the opportunity arose for her to do a childcare course in Brighton and Hove, she jumped at the chance.

Having successfully passed it, along with 14 other women from minority ethnic groups, she is now about to take her diploma to qualify as a supervisor and perhaps one day even open her own creche.

Mrs Higgs, 37, who came to England from Japan just over four years ago after meeting her husband Laurence, began studying in 1999 for NVQ qualification but had to give up when she became pregnant.

Then the chance to do the level two certificate in childcare practice came along, which seemed liked the ideal solution because Mrs Higgs, of Harmsworth Crescent, Hove, could fit it around caring for her daughter, Jasmine, now two and a half.

Mrs Higgs, who has an art degree with broadcasting and used to do television voiceovers in Japan, said: "I was working in pre-school here but I wanted to get proper qualifications. I also wanted to carry on working with children.

"I did about ten months of the NVQ childcare course but I couldn't carry on because I had really bad morning sickness. Then later this course came along and I was able to swap.

"It is a nationally-recognised qualification and they provide a creche for your children while you are studying."

Mrs Higgs said during the 15-month course the students took part in activities the children also did, such as drawing and crafts.

She felt it was important to have carers from different countries because they were able to empathise with children who also did not speak English as their first language.

"I think sometimes they find it more comfortable talking with someone of another nationality, not necessarily the same nationality but someone who can understand what it is like to not speak English as their first language."

Mrs Higgs was one of several Japanese women who took part in the course. There were others from Albania, Iran, Morocco, Italy and Sudan.

They received language support, took part in classroom-based work and also went on different placements around the city.

Most of the time there were creche facilities so the women could leave their children and study, although when they were on placements they took it in turn to look after each others' children.

Many of the women were already highly qualified in different fields in their own countries but, after having children, had decided to pursue a career in childcare.

Some had originally arrived in the country as refugees or asylum-seekers and now, thanks to their qualifications, they are contributing to childcare in the city where there is an ever-growing demand for childcare facilities.

It is the first time a course has been run exclusively for women from ethnic minority groups who are poorly represented in the childcare workforce in the city.

However, organisers of the course are hoping to integrate future students with English students.

Caroline Filby, training manager from Brighton and Hove City Council's early years development and childcare partnership (EYDCP), said the course had been a huge success and the group had been incredibly focused.

She said: "This was a pilot project as we initially thought this group of women needed a sheltered environment. However, the students coped so well we have decided future groups should be mixed so they can share ideas and experience.

"Most of the women have young families, three having babies while studying. There was a lot of mutual support, for example, by looking after each others' children during placements."

The course was possible thanks to the Workers Education Association, which identified and encouraged the women initially and provided language support.

The Pre-school Learning Alliance helped deliver the course, the council's EYDCP co-ordinated and financed it and Honeycroft playgroup provided work placements.

All the women successfully passed level two and have all been offered jobs in childcare. Some are planning to start their level three course to qualify as supervisors.

Ms Filby said: "Not only do we now have 15 more qualified childcare workers in the city, we have a group of ambassadors with fantastic contacts in many of our minority ethnic groups.

"They have already recruited several others into our next course."

Tutor Gill Hasson said: "What made this course especially interesting for me to teach was the women sharing memories of their own childhoods and upbringing and their experiences of childcare in their own cultures.

"They also had some interesting observations and opinions about the values, beliefs, rules and regulations regarding childcare and parenting in this country. We all learnt a lot from each other."

The course has been viewed by many as a resounding success and there are plans to encourage more ethnic minorities to enter childcare.

The council is also planning to encourage more men to train for qualifications.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, lead councillor for early years and childcare, said: "We need more people from ethnic minorities to work with children and for all 15 of these women to stay the course in a language which is not their own is great. Because we have many children from ethnic minority families it is really important to have childcare workers representative of the community as a whole.

"By and large there are more women but we are trying to encourage men as well."