"Hiring, hiring, hiring": demand for early childhood educators remains high

Thunder Bay - Those responsible for training future professionals and those currently working in the system say the demand for fully qualified, registered early childhood educators remains high in the Thunder Bay area.

On Friday afternoon, Confederation College hosted its annual job fair for students in the Early Childhood Education program.

Maria Cole, a teacher in the college's Early Childhood Education program, said the gathering gives students a chance to learn about career opportunities offered by various organizations in Thunder Bay and the region in their field.

Likewise, she continued, it allows employers to meet with potential job seekers, which helps with recruitment.

And that demand certainly still exists, Cole said, with the Thunder Bay area alone needing at least 100 additional full-time registered ECEs to meet the need.

"There aren't enough people, and there aren't enough qualified people," Cole said.

"So, throughout the process, students need to complete a two-year intensive program at the college, and then they need to apply to become a registered early childhood educator in order to work with children, families, and colleagues within the scope of practice."

For organizations seeking new staff, Friday's job fair was an opportunity to meet future employees.

"There's a shortage of registered child care staff across Ontario, so we're here to recruit new graduates," said Angela Celeiro, executive director of Harbour View Child Care Centre.

"We want registered ECEs, we need registered ECEs."

She added: "We're all here for the same purpose - recruit, recruit, recruit."

Harbour View alone has 1,600 waitlist applications, covering children from infants to 12 years old.

Celeiro said she has been in the field since the late 1990s.

She said back then, finding a job in the field was difficult, but now "there are jobs available from relief staff to casual to full-time."

Celeiro said: "We don't have enough educated people to provide quality care."

She explained that it is very important for the province to invest more resources to better compensate ECEs and better promote the importance of the work they do.

She said: "We're targeting children at the earliest stages of brain development."

"The government needs to understand... how important it is to provide funding and educational promotion, and we need people to provide services for families and children so that parents can go to work."

Cole agreed.

She said: "I think the first priority is really supporting the importance of the role of early childhood education."

"We've been advocating for the importance of this role and the important work we do for young children and their families."

The college has also taken steps to accept and graduate more students. These include offering dual-credit courses for high school students - not only in Thunder Bay, but also at regional campuses - and working with the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board to offer an accelerated diploma program for people already working in the field.

The college's enrollment also appears to be quite substantial.

Shane Strickland, dean of the college's School of Health, Negahneewin and Community Services, said each fall, the college's two-year program typically accommodates 60 students. He added that in the past few years, the college has over-enrolled its intake.

He said: "As long as we have these ongoing partnerships that you see today, we can enhance that capacity and can take in more students."

For Maria Cole, it is a very rewarding career, having worked in the field for over 20 years and now having taught at the college for at least 15 years.

Cole said: "This field is very meaningful because you're building capacity, you're building children's brains, you're building children's ability to get along with others - preparing them and supporting them to become individuals.

Source: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/recruitment-recruitment-recruitment-early-childhood-educators-still-in-high-demand-10202830