THUNDER BAY – Officials with Confederation College are helping in the search for more Early Childhood Educators (ECE).
The post-secondary institution held a networking event Friday that allowed first- and second-year students the opportunity to talk with employers from the Thunder Bay district.
Early Childhood Education program coordinator Maria Cole said that there is a high success rate for students to find work once they graduate.
“Following graduation, students go through a registration process with the College of Early Childhood Educators. The Thunder Bay district is experiencing a great need of early childhood education employees. We have a need of at least 130 full-time educators to reach full capacity in our childcare community,” Cole said.
That number she is referring to came from the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB).
They say to open more $10-per-day spaces, approximately 130 more staff members are needed in licensed childcare settings.
“The early childhood education field is a wonderful field to be in, but as you know we are in a crisis right now,” said Cheryl Adams, a senior early childhood educator at the college.
“There is a lot of growth within the community and things like this career fair are when we get to meet a lot of perspective employees. It's a wonderful way to bring the community together.”
“We know that 0 to 6 are the formative years where children learn and develop secure and safe relationships when their families are going to work. There is a lot of pressure on families as well, because they also want to feel that their children are safe when they're going to work.”
Since the province's announcement of the $10-per-day childcare in March 2022, the board's wait list for licensed spots increased by almost 24 per cent.
