Is There Demand for Early Childhood Educators

Many young people considering a career in ECE are asking the question, is there a demand for early childhood educators?  Clearly across the country, there is a huge demand for well-trained, qualified Early Childhood Educators.  For example the B.C. Family Agenda states that in 2012 there were 274,424 children under 6 year of age in British Columbia.  This supports the findings of the Coalition of Childcare Advocates which stated in their submission of October, 2012 to the BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, that B.C. families are experiencing very long waiting lists for childcare services. To combat this situation, the British Columbia Early Years Strategy established the goal to open 13,000 additional childcare spaces in the next 8 years.

BC is not alone in their need for ECE workers. Almost all of the provincial and territorial governments across Canada have recognized that better educated children lead to a better educated workforce and as such have increased funding and the number of child care spaces available. Service Canada indicates the unemployment rate in this occupation is very low and that placement rates for graduates with a diploma in early childhood education are excellent and have rated Early Childhood Education as a high opportunity job.