Selkirk College Explores Availability of ECCE Training in Kaslo

Several members of Selkirk College, including Rhonda Schmitz, Chair of the School of Health and Human Services and Taya Whitehead, Lead Instructor of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), met with interested community members of Kaslo to provide information and answer questions regarding the local availability of ECCE training.

Currently, Selkirk College offers 6 of the 16 courses required to complete a certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education in an online format. This certificate is geared for individuals interested in becoming Licensed Early Childhood Educators. The college is currently exploring partnership opportunities with Northern Lights College to offer the entire ECCE certificate in an online format.  

“There has been a significant expression of interest in this program throughout the community; however, the opportunities for local training are somewhat limited,” explained Dawn Lang, Continuing Education Coordinator for Selkirk’s Kaslo Learning Centre. “In the future, we hope that we can expand the current online options for ECCE training which will ultimately lead to employment in the area and enable people to build their confidence and skill sets.”

The six courses that are currently online are: English 110, Psychology 100, Psychology 240, Families 180, ECCE 186 and ECCE 193.  Participants may wish to consider enrolling in the English and Psych. courses through Adult Basic Education (ABE) in Kaslo to reduce their course load at a later date. ABE instructors are available to assist students, in terms of instruction and educational upgrading, as required.

Graduates of the ECCE certificate program could be eligible to apply for a License to Practice as an Early Childhood Educator in BC. There are also options available for those wishing to license as an Early Childhood Educator Assistant, Infant/Toddler Educator, Special Needs Educator or Responsible Adult.

For those interested in applying for a License to Practice as an ECCE Assistant, online training is available through the college. ECCE 186-Child Health and Safety is now being offered in a fully online format and in winter 2010, Selkirk will also offer ECCE 193-Child-Centred Partnerships in a fully online format. Both of these courses satisfy the educational requirements for a License to Practice as an ECCE Assistant.

Training is available through the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) offices in Nelson and Trail for individuals interested in pursuing employment as a Responsible Adult. The training is self-directed and self-paced.

Financial assistance may be available from a variety of sources, including the Employment Skills Access (ESA) program, funded through the Canada/BC Labour Market Agreement, which is designed to help unemployed British Columbians acquire the skills they need to transition back to the labour force or into further education. For more information on the opportunities available through the ESA Program at Selkirk College, please contact Selkirk College’s ESA Counsellor at 250.364.5760 or email esa@selkirk.ca.

Other sources of financial assistance can be explored by visiting selkirk.ca/students/financialaid or by calling
1.888.953.1133, ext. 295.

First published on January 06, 2010