Excerpts
A new bursary program will help up to 300 current and aspiring early childhood educators launch or advance their careers with $10,000 in funding to cover education costs.
The federal and Alberta governments are investing $3.3 million through the Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to launch the Early Childhood Educator Bursary program, according to an Aug. 18 announcement. NorQuest College will manage the program.
“Alberta families deserve high-quality child care and we know quality care begins with a skilled workforce,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, minister of education and childcare. “We are making it easier than ever to pursue a rewarding career in this dynamic sector.”
The program will provide up to 300 one-time bursaries of $10,000 to eligible students over the next three years. The funding is designed to cover tuition, books and some living expenses for students accepted into approved early learning and child-care certificate programs at 20 participating Alberta post-secondary institutions.
Each bursary will be awarded in two instalments. The first $5,000 will be awarded once applicants are accepted to an approved program. The remaining $5,000 will be disbursed once applicants complete their program, begin working in the licensed child-care sector and gain Level 2 early childhood educator certification.
...
Since 2001, Alberta has grown the number of early childhood educators in the province by more than 13,000 to a total of 31,200.
...