Students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) will benefit from $150,000 in funding toward an early childhood education program that will prepare them for a career working with children in their communities.

“Funding for this program will allow students to train for a rewarding career and support the needs of children and their families in the Williams Lake area,” said MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin Donna Barnett on behalf of Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson. “Ensuring funding aligns with training and education for in-demand jobs, gives students a head start in the job market.”

This one-time funding supports additional programming at the Williams Lake campus and addresses a shortage of early childhood educators in the community. The program will begin on Oct. 31, 2016.

“Increasing student success and serving our communities are our top priorities,” said TRU president Alan Shaver. “This funding to expand programming is an example of how TRU and government are responsive to the needs of remote and rural communities. It’s exciting to know that in a few short months, more qualified early childcare educators will be making a difference in the lives of this region’s families every day.”

Early childhood educators work with and educate young children in a variety of settings. There are currently more than 22,000 early childhood educators and early childhood educator assistants registered in B.C. The 2025 B.C. Labour Market Outlook estimates that there will be approximately 9,300 job openings for these roles throughout the province.

The early childhood education program at TRU combines in-class learning with hands-on experience through practical fieldwork. Areas of learning include developing relationships with children, child guidance, designing and developing curriculum content and working with families. Throughout the program, students develop the skills they need to become effective educators of young children.

Learn More:

Thompson Rivers University early childhood educator diploma program: http://www.tru.ca/edsw/education/ece.html

To learn more about becoming a licensed early childhood educator in British Columbia, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/earlychildhoodeducator