Early childhood educators and assistants
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Early childhood educators (ECEs) work with young children from birth to age five. They create and run educational programs that fuel children’s intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. Early childhood educator assistants (ECEAs) work under the supervision of ECEs.
Job Titles
Duties
Early childhood educators (ECEs) and assistants (ECEAs) work hands-on with children to:
- Teach with stories, music, play, field trips, art, drama and movement
- Help each child participate and succeed
- Protect children’s health and safety
- Help children learn good eating, dressing and toileting habits
- Help each child build their sense of identity and belonging
- Observe and value each child’s way of expressing themselves
- Assess learning and development
- Deal with signs of learning, development and behavioural issues
- Provide fair but firm discipline
- Respect the culture of all children
- Work with Indigenous children in ways that are respectful and attentive
They also:
- Do paperwork and keep records
- Develop teaching aids and projects
- Maintain and clean equipment
- Prepare food
- Create indoor and outdoor spaces for play and learning
- Evaluate educational programs
- Take part in professional development
- Build relationships with co-workers, children’s families and community services
- Communicate regularly with parents and guardians
ECEs may also supervise and mentor others, including ECEAs and students.
ECEs and ECEAs use the B.C. Early Learning Framework to guide their work. They must keep up the standards set out in B.C.’s Child Care Licensing Regulation.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
20,530% Employed Full Time
33%Most early childhood educators (ECEs) and assistants (ECEAs) work in licensed settings such as child-care centres, StrongStart BC centres, before- and after-school programs or preschool programs. These can be located in schools, community centres or workplaces that offer child care to their employees. The work is varied, depending on the setting.
ECEs and ECEAs may work full time or part time, and hours can vary. Preschool and school-based programs usually run during the school year. Most child-care centres are open all year. They may have longer hours or use staggered shifts to fit the needs of working parents. There is a growing demand, for example, for late-night child care by parents who work shifts.
Working with young children and families can be very rewarding. It can also be physically and emotionally demanding. Workers may suffer back strain or other discomfort from time spent standing, walking, sitting on the floor, bending and lifting. They can be exposed to illness by sick children, as well as to challenging issues in the classroom.
Career Pathways
Recent graduates often find jobs in child-care centres, preschools, community centres or parks and recreation departments. They may be hired as early childhood educators (ECEs) or assistants (ECEAs), support workers for children needing extra help, or before- and after-school programmers.
With more education, ECEAs can become ECEs.
Experienced ECEs can manage programs within an agency or become an agency’s executive director. Some operate private child-care facilities. Those with more education may become infant development consultants, supported child development co-ordinators, child-care directors, administrators for early childhood education centres, or ECE instructors in colleges or universities. Some may choose to train to work as educational assistants with school-aged children.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Early childhood educators (ECEs) and assistants (ECEAs) must be certified in order to work in most licensed child-care programs. There are five levels of certification:
ECE – one year
ECE – five year
ECEA
Infant Toddler Educator (ITE)
Special Needs Educator (SNE)
ECEs must complete an early childhood education program at a recognized university or college. They can then be certified through the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development. ECEAs can earn a certificate after taking courses in child development, children’s well-being and curriculum planning. ITEs and SNEs must be certified as ECEs before taking their additional training and certification.
To stay certified, workers must continue to do professional development, get work experience and meet character and skill requirements.
The ECE Education Support Fund offers grants for professional development and education.
ECEs who are certified for that occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development: Early Childhood Educator Registry for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Early Childhood Education
- Teacher Assistant/Aide
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
20,530Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 605 | 2.9% |
| Kootenay | 550 | 2.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 12,780 | 62.3% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 490 | 2.4% |
| Northeast | 270 | 1.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 2,190 | 10.7% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 3,635 | 17.7% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
13,820Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 250 | 2.2% |
| Kootenay | 270 | 2.3% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 9,720 | 3.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 90 | 1.7% |
| Northeast | 80 | 1.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,320 | 2.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,090 | 3.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 11,800 |
| Educational Services | 1,350 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 260 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 190 |
| Public Administration | 90 |
Insights from Industry
This work can be challenging and the pay can be low. This leads to a high turnover of workers and regular vacancies.
Rural areas continue to have a shortage of qualified workers. Educators certified to work with children with special needs, infants or toddlers are also in especially high demand.
In addition, the B.C. government has committed to significantly increase the number of child-care spaces across the province. As a result, 8,600 more early childhood educators will likely be needed over the next decade.
Resources
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Aboriginal Head Start Association of British Columbiawww.ahsabc.com
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B.C. Child Care Resource and Referral Centreswww.gov.bc.ca/ChildCareResourceReferralCentres
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B.C. Ministry of Education – Early Learningwww.gov.bc.ca/earlylearning
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BC Aboriginal Child Care Societywww.acc-society.bc.ca
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BC Family Child Care Association (BCFCCA)www.bcfcca.ca
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Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF)www.cccf-fcsge.ca
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Child Care Human Resources Sector Council (CCHRSC)www.ccsc-cssge.ca
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Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC (CCCABC)www.cccabc.bc.ca
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Early Childhood Educators of BC – Job Opportunitieswww.ecebc.ca/jobs.html
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Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC)www.ecebc.ca
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Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), UBCearlylearning.ubc.ca
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School Age Child Care Association of British Columbia (SACCABC)saccabc.org
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The Canadian Association for Young Children (CAYC)www.cayc.ca
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of an early childhood educator is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of an early childhood educator is like.
