Children's Minister Adam Ingram has voiced his hopes that the first ever university degree for nursery and childcare staff will help give Scotland's children the best start in life.

The BA Childhood Practice undergraduate degree launched this year is the first course to comply with new standards developed by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), QAA Scotland and others in the Childhood Practice Development Group.

Suitable for lead practitioners and managers in early years education, it is hoped the new degree will improve graduates' career paths and ensure they gain professional recognition.

Set to meet some of the new students studying for the degree, Ingram described them as being "at the forefront" of ensuring that early years education is used to improve the life chances at the earliest possible age.

"This Government is clear that an early start is the best start for Scotland's children. By ensuring support is in place at the first opportunity we can give every young person the chance to reach their potential, which will lead to benefits for everyone in Scotland.

"Developing the skills and career opportunities of those delivering early years services is key to helping us achieve that goal and the new professional standards will promote excellence in the sector.

"We firmly believe that investing in our children during their earliest years is central to influencing future life chances which is why we will have an unprecedented focus on this area through our Early Years Framework, to be launched soon."

SSSC chief executive Carole Wilkinson added: "The early years are a significant time for children and research shows the best outcomes for children come from effective and well led services committed to improvement and enhancement.

"The high uptake of places on the Childhood Practice degrees shows how responsive this sector is to providing what is best for children and their families and the commitment of the sector to register with the SSSC."

It is hoped that in the longer term all early years and child care managers will be required to gain new awards of 360 credits and SCQF level 9 for registration with the SSSC. Currently 220 students are studying for their Child Practice qualification across Scotland.