Programme lets early childhood educators learn on the job
Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin (blue) at the Early Childhood Recruitment Fair, on Aug 20, 2015. Photo: Wee Teck Hian
SINGAPORE — As part of ongoing efforts to attract more people to join the early childhood sector, a new place-and-train programme targeted specifically at those who care for young children aged between two months and three years — dubbed “educarers”— was launched today (Aug 20).
Under the programme, trainees will be trained to support a young child’s learning and development, including how to plan and execute age-appropriate activities and care-giving practices. There are currently about 2,800 educarers in Singapore, and more will be needed as the Government increases the number of childcare places over the next few years.
Jointly launched by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) at the Early Childhood Recruitment Fair, the programme will be divided into courses for infant “educarers” and for early-years “educarers”.
The training, which will last between five and 10 months, is open to new hires who have been employed for not more than six months.
Trainees will also have to be at least 21 years old and have to meet the minimum course entry requirements.
Under the place-and-train model, trainees will spend half a day working and the remaining half attending classes.
This will allow them to apply what they have learnt in class on the job. They will receive an ECDA-recognised Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications certification after completing the programme.
Up to 90 per cent of the course fees will be covered by the WDA, while the rest will be co-funded by the childcare operator.
The operators can also apply for an additional 5 per cent course fee under the Workfare Training Support scheme if the trainee is above 35 years old and is earning less than S$1,900 a month.
Trainees will also be paid a monthly salary, of which 70 per cent or up to S$1,400 will be covered by the WDA.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the recruitment fair, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin said the new programme is a “complementary piece” to the various initiatives that have been rolled out to attract more into the early childhood sector.
He noted that apart from attending lessons and getting on-the-job training, the trainees will also get paid at the same time.
“This is one attractive way to also bring in those who may be keen to be educarers,” Mr Tan said.
Just Kids Learning Place director Lurvin Lee felt that the funding support from the WDA could help offset some of the operators’ costs.
Ms Lee noted that the untrained educarers could be “extra costs” for the centres since they are unable to take care of a class of young children on their own. With the subsidies, the childcare centres can take them in first and give them time to be mentored, she added.
The recruitment fair, offering more than 200 educarer and pre-school teacher positions, is held at 313@Somerset and will run until Aug 23.
