Early Childhood Educators & Assistants
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Early childhood educators plan, organize and implement programs for infants and children up to 12 years of age. Early childhood educator assistants provide care for infants and preschool- to school-age children under the guidance of early childhood educators. Both educators and assistants lead children in activities to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical and emotional growth and ensure their security and well-being. They are employed in child-care centres, daycare centres, kindergartens, agencies for exceptional children and other settings where early childhood education services are provided. (NOC)
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, incl. typical duties and working conditions, in the links below.
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational descriptions
- O*NET Online - U.S. resource for occupational descriptions and information
- A Day in the Life of a Child Care Worker - The Princeton Review (U.S.)
- OCCinfo by alis (incl. video) - Alberta-based occupational information
- Who works in the ECE sector? - Child Care Human Resource Sector Council
- Careers in Early Learning & Child Care - Manitoba Government
- A Day in the Life of a Preschool Teacher - EarlyChildhoodTeacher.org
- ECE & Admin Job Profiles - videos from Canada's Child Care Human Resource Sector Council
Education
The University of Manitoba does not offer specialized training in Early Childhood Education. The links below have information about the training opportunities in Manitoba. Across Canada, each province and territory has it’s own set of standards and regulations. If you are a University of Manitoba student who would like assistance with planning your educational pathway, visit Career Services.
To learn more about a career and education in Kindergarten & Early Years Education, please click the link on the right hand side of the page.
Faculty and Department Homepages
Visit the faculty and department homepage to learn about program application deadlines and approval process, as well as additional in-house resources and opportunities.
Exploring Other Education Options
- Recognized Programs in Manitoba (PDF) - see page 4 for a program list (Document: Information on the Classification of Early Childhood Educators and Child Care Assistants)
- ECEC Training Programs in Canada - from the Child Care HR Sector Council
- College of Early Childhood Educators (Ontario) - view list of approved programs
- CCSC's Canadian Guide to ECEC Credentialing - learn more about certification in any province
- Competency Based and Prior Learning Assessment (CBA/PLA) - Manitoba Early Learning & Child Care Program
- Search Education Directories
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Analysis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - Job outlook for the U.S.
- Manitoba Child Care Association - Market Competitive Salary Guideline Scale 2022-2023
- OpportuNext - salary range and job growth prospects - Manitoba
Professional Associations
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- Manitoba Child Care Association
- Manitoba Government: Early Learning & Child Care Program - regulates the profession in Manitoba
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
Other links
Links to external resources that will provide you with additional information about the occupation.
- Canadian Childcare Federation - organization focused on best practices in the profession
- The Canadian Association for Young Children - national association concerned with the well-being of children
- Healthy Child Manitoba - Government of Manitoba
- The Centre on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
- Topics in Early Childhood Education - Blog by John Funk, Adjunct Professor University of Utah
- MenTeach - information about men teaching
- Funding looks to give pay bump for early childhood educators in Manitoba - CTV News Winnipeg