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An announcement from Southeast College will make it easier for students hoping to go into the field of Early Childhood Education.
With the objective of enhancing the certification levels of early childhood educators in Saskatchewan, the province is providing $1.68 million in funding for the 2024-2026 period to support Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs. The funding will benefit full-time ECE programs across the College's campuses in Estevan, Kahkewistahaw First Nation, and Cowessess First Nation, and part-time ECE programs in Weyburn, Indian Head, Moosomin, and Assiniboia. The programs will offer training at Levels I, II, and III, entirely cost-free to domestic students, covering tuition, books, and materials.
The federal government and the province have also committed to increasing the number of regulated childcare spaces by 28,000, and providing $10 per day regulated childcare spaces to families. This funding is provided by the Ministry of Education of Saskatchewan and falls under the quality pillar of the agreement, aimed at recruiting and retaining qualified Early Child Care employees to support developmentally appropriate programming in regulated childcare facilities.
"That's a lot," commented Sheena Onrait, Vice President of Communication and Strategic Enrollment with Southeast College. "So that means there's a lot of education that needs to happen around early childhood education. The demand has been quite significant."
She said their full-time, two-year diploma ECE program in Estevan, which begins in September, is currently sitting full, with a waitlist. Last year, the College received funding to start a year one program, with year two beginning this fall.
"So we're able to offer that program again, at no charge, no tuition charge, and no books and materials charges for those students as well. So it's a win-win situation for the college for students, for the communities, and just for families in general, within southeast Saskatchewan."
The funding comes directly to Southeast College, noted Onrait.
"We apply for the funding as part of a project, and when the students apply to us, everything is all looked after, so they don't pay an application fee, and, like I said, they don't pay books or tuition or anything like that as well. So it's actually very, very easy for students to be able to apply for this program because they don't have to put any money out."
"Post-secondary is expensive, and that's no secret. When you factor in tuition, books, living expenses, and everything that comes with being a student, it's an investment in your future. Any time there are programs like the ECE grant or the Emergency Medical Services grant - a few weeks ago that was announced - that just benefits students going back to school, or students going to school to be able to start their career or continue to make career changes and career enhancements throughout their career journey."
She said due to the expense of schooling, funding like this is critical.
Onrait added they are pleased with their enrollment numbers this year, with a number of full programs with wait lists.
"That shows that, one, the programs are in demand, and two, we're getting the word out across the region about our programs and students are responding by enrolling," she said. "And we have new programs this year as well that we've brought on board that have really, really great enrollments. New programs are sometimes a challenge because you've got to get the word out there, and people don't always know that you're offering a certain program in a certain location. But I would say overall, we are extremely pleased with our enrollment numbers for our programs starting this fall."
Up to 211 students can receive free training, significantly contributing to the development of qualified ECE professionals in the province.
"The two-year funding agreement is greatly appreciated. Having a two-year agreement in place will allow students to enroll tuition-free while obtaining their diploma. This funding, in addition to the delivery model Southeast has implemented, which allows students to remain employed during their schooling, is a win-win situation for students and Early Learning Centres in the southeast region," said Jody Holzmiller, Interim President and CEO of Southeast College.
"This significant investment not only strengthens our commitment to early education but also underscores our dedication to the families and labor force of the southeast region of Saskatchewan," added Holzmiller. "It represents a crucial step towards enhancing the quality of early childhood education and ensuring that our communities have access to well-trained professionals."
This initiative is part of a broader $1.1 billion investment under the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for 2021-22 to 2025-26.