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Saskatchewan needs Early Childhood Educators, and the province has paved the pathway toward learning that works toward meeting the demands.
A release from the province reveals that over the next two years, the provincial government will invest nearly $35 million to continue to deliver tuition-free early childhood educator (ECE) training, professional development and student financial support.
Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, up to $16.5 million in the 2024-25 academic year and up to $18.4 million in the 2025-26 academic year will be directed toward opportunities to support ECE skills and knowledge.
The additional funding will create more than 4,000 tuition-free training seats over two years.
"We are responding to the needs of the early years sector with tangible actions that allow us to continue recruiting and retaining certified early childhood educators," Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. "Trained early childhood educators play an important role in providing high-quality early learning and child care programs in our province."
In the Humboldt area, ECE education is provided by Carlton Trail College
“Through the funding, we were able to offer Early Childhood Education training to students in Punnichy and a full-time diploma program in Humboldt,” explains Deanna Gaetz, business and skills training manager with Carlton Trail College. “Students don’t have to pay for tuition or books, and they receive a small training allowance for each day they attend.”
Gaetz attests to the increasing demand for qualified educators in the area, and she sees the funding as a welcome opportunity to attract the necessary students.
“I think within the last three years, there’s been approximately 300 additional daycare seats added in the region. This training definitely starts to meet the demand for employees.”
In Humboldt, the program is designed to cater to the hours of those already employed in daycare centres.
"To make $10 a day child care a reality for families in Saskatchewan, we need to retain and recruit more early childhood educators," Canada's Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds said. "By offering tuition-free opportunities for thousands of current educators, we are empowering them to enhance their skills through training and professional development. At the same time, we are opening the door for new educators to discover this important career."
From fall 2024 to spring 2026, 10 post-secondary institutions across Saskatchewan will provide free ECE training and professional development, including: Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, College Mathieu, Dumont Technical Institute and six regional colleges - Carlton Trail, Great Plains, North West, Northlands, Southeast and Suncrest.
The province’s release states that the new funding builds on the $26 million invested in post-secondary opportunities over the past three years. This included $4.9 million in 2021-22 and almost $9 million in 2022-23 to three institutions, and $12.3 million to 10 institutions in 2023-24.