There is a great need for more professional Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) to support the many Child Care programs, Before and After School programs, and Early Years classrooms across London and Middlesex County. To help promote this essential and rewarding career, from 2020 through 2023, Literacy Link South Central supported the program Pathways into a Child Care and Early Years Career.

This program offered training to both English-speaking and French-speaking job seekers who were ready to begin a rewarding career in early years education and child care. Participants took part in a FREE 10-week 25-hour-a-week training program focused on the essential and employability skills, technical skills and certifications they needed, followed by a PAID work placement and a full year of employment support. 

Through this program, we also offered high-quality professional development for both English-speaking and French-speaking Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) who wanted to advance into leadership positions. Incumbents (people already working in the field) took part in a FREE 12-week part-time professional development program focused on key stakeholders and community partners, governance and finance, human resources, leadership and professionalism. Throughout the program they were guided by a mentor at their workplace, and participated in bi-weekly community of practice sessions with other professionals to discuss their learning.

This SkillsAdvance Ontario (SAO) program was funded through the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The project lead was Carrefour communautaire francophone de London (CCFL) in partnership with Literacy Link South Central and the Licenced Child Care Network (LCCN).