Ontario Supports the Training of Early Childhood Educators

Investment to help workers in Southwestern Ontario affected by COVID-19 upgrade their skills

The Voice of Canada News:

The Ontario government is investing $1.2 million in a skills training project through SkillsAdvance Ontario, in partnership with Carrefour communautaire francophone de London, to prepare 130 job seekers for careers in the French and English-language early childhood education sector.

Details were announced Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development at Carrefour communautaire francophone de London.

“Our government recognizes that COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of many workers across the province, that’s why we are taking deliberate steps to make sure everyone can receive the training or the retraining needed to begin new and rewarding careers,” said McNaughton. “Good jobs provide meaning, dignity and purpose, and by working together with Ontario’s employers we can prepare the skilled workers we need for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Recruitment, intake and planning activities will begin in January 2021 for the early childhood educator project. Training for the first cohort will begin in June 2021 and last for two years. The training program will be 10 weeks in duration and include job matching, job placement and retention services. Job seekers interested in applying for this local SkillsAdvance Ontario project should contact Employment Ontario.

Funding for this project is included in the $180.5 million over three years, laid out in the province’s 2020 Budget Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, to help workers affected by the pandemic retrain and upgrade their skills to find good jobs.

Childcare providers in the London region have been clear that the sector faces significant labour shortages for Early Childhood Educators,” said Jeff Yurek, MPP. “I am proud that the provincial government is addressing this need through support for CCFL and look forward to seeing how this project benefits our community in the years to come.” 

“We are committed to fostering a stronger, highly qualified bilingual workforce in Ontario to support the overall economic development in our province,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs. “This investment will help reduce labour shortages in the critical early childhood education sector in the London/Middlesex area and strengthen the vitality of Francophone communities.”

“These training opportunities along with our partnerships with employers, will provide French and English participants with the stepping stones to build skills and gain knowledge needed to realize their career goals in early childhood education,” said Jean-Pierre Cantin, executive director of Carrefour communautaire francophone de London.

The project at Carrefour is one of 46 active SkillsAdvance Ontario projects across the province dedicated to sector-specific training for jobs in steel and aluminum, manufacturing, logistics, tourism and hospitality, forestry and other sectors.

Quick Facts

• In Ontario, there were about 1,900 online job postings in the early childhood education sector in 2020, over the January to November period (Source: Burning Glass Technologies).
• Employment Ontario offers a range of services and supports that help businesses find talent and connect job seekers to training and job opportunities.