Funding breakthrough for childhood educators
Twelve people in the Central Okanagan will receive training and paid work experience as early childhood education assistants thanks to an investment from the provincial government of more than $123,000.
Participants will receive 15 weeks of training, followed by six weeks of on-the-job work experience.
The YMCA of Okanagan created this program, which is entering its second iteration, in response to an urgent need for qualified assistants to work alongside early childhood educators.
All participants who completed last year’s program were hired by childcare centres in the area.
“This is an opportunity for 12 people to get paid-for on-the-job training, to get work experience and to enter this industry,” said Shane Simpson, minister of social development and poverty reduction, at the funding announcement in Kelowna Friday morning.
As the NDP government plans to create more childcare spaces in B.C., the demand for trained early childhood educators and assistants will increase, said Simpson.
“There’s a lot of interest in hiring these participants already,” he said.
YMCA Okanagan is opening two new childcare centres in the next two years and will have more than two dozen early childhood educator spaces to fill.
“Childcare programs led by qualified staff play an important role in the healthy development of children and are critical to support working families in B.C.,” said Sharon Peterson, CEO of the YMCA Okanagan.
Finding qualified staff is one of the greatest challenges in providing early childhood education programs, said Jeremy Welder, director of operations, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club.
“This project is going to help us find a solution for the staffing crisis in this sector (and) . . . to expand our services and meet the growing community need in this area,” he said.
The $123,120 is being provided through the province’s community and employer partnerships program.