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SINGAPORE – More than 1,900 jobs are offered in the early childhood sector, eight out of ten for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET).
They make up the bulk – 98 percent – of the 1,940 jobs, internships and positions available at the end of September, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in its weekly work situation report on Monday (November 2).
PMET’s 1,620 jobs include positions for preschool teachers, center leaders and managers of child care services. Another 290 jobs available are for non-PMET roles.
In addition to jobs, around 30 internships and attachments organized by companies are available.
In a virtual press conference, Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo said: “These vacancies are mostly jobs as employers trust they have vacancies to fill.”
His ministry revealed that more than 570 people were placed in jobs, internships and adjunct positions in the sector between April and mid-October through the help of Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Institute for Employment and Employability of the National Congress of Trade unions. This is in addition to direct contracting by the operators themselves.
With more dual-income families and working grandparents, as well as a greater emphasis on the importance of the early years for child development, preschool enrollment is expected to increase, boosting the sector’s labor demand, MOM said.
There are currently around 21,000 certified early childhood educators here, an increase of more than 30 percent from 2016. Demand is expected to grow as preschool places will increase to more than 200,000 by 2023.
There are three main career paths in the skills framework developed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), SkillsFuture Singapore and WSG together with early childhood stakeholders.
Educators under the leader track, who will hold leadership positions in centers or teachers in both kindergartens and child care centers, will earn between $ 3,100 and $ 7,600.
Those on the teacher track, who will work with children between the ages of four and six, can earn between $ 2,200 and $ 3,550. Educators in the educator camp, working with children ages two months to four years, earn between $ 1,800 and $ 3,150.
Job applicants who wish to enter the sector as educators must obtain an early childhood certificate or diploma offered by the National Institute for Early Childhood Development, or programs accredited by the ECDA and conducted by private training agencies.
The length of a certified early childhood course ranges from four months to two and a half years for job seekers in the middle of their career.
Those who wish to make an industry change mid-career can do so through the Professional Conversion Program (PCP) for preschool teachers and the Educator Training and Placement Program, which will equip them with the necessary skills and qualifications. said MOM. They can then register with ECDA as qualified preschool teachers or certified educators, and work in ECDA licensed day care centers and kindergartens, respectively.
Noting that roughly three out of four people in the early childhood scene come from other sectors, Ms Teo said: “Early childhood employers appreciate job seekers transitioning from other sectors as they bring transferable skills with them. “
He added that job seekers from the hospitality and retail sectors, which have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, are strong candidates due to their good service-oriented skills. But he emphasized that they must also have a passion for working with children.
In addition to specialized roles that require job applicants to meet prerequisites, such as having an early childhood certificate or diploma, there are also ancillary roles that job applicants can take on, such as in the areas of marketing, human resources (RR .HH.), Finance and administration. .
These roles would still provide job seekers with a deeper insight into the sector, further smoothing their entry into it, should they wish to embark on the path of the educator or the educator, MOM said.
“These roles also provide industry-relevant skills and soft skills that can increase your chances of landing a job in other sectors.”
To attract and retain talent, the early childhood industry has worked with WSG to develop and implement a 12-month Progressive HR Practices Early Adoption Program, or Project JOY.
Since November 2016, the program has helped early childhood operators shape the early childhood industry as one with attractive career paths for new entrants and existing talents.
“Having more experienced and skilled employees in the industry would also raise the quality of care and education for the next generation,” MOM said.
Under the program, operators can apply for grants to receive training in areas such as leadership communication, employee engagement, culture development, and human resource practices. HR staff can also attend programs that can help them plan and develop better training roadmaps to improve the skills of their early childhood professionals and fill any skills gaps.
To date, more than 135 operators, including Cherie Hearts, Skool4kidz, Learning Vision, and Kidz Meadow, have participated in the program, benefiting more than 8,800 employees, or about 30 percent of the early childhood workforce.
Ms Teo said that this initiative is important, “because the people who have invested their time in this sector want to continue to grow, and there is always new knowledge to gain on how we can help children to develop their potential more effectively” . .
At the same press conference, the Minister of Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli, said that the sector has been “very resilient” amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and is still growing and employing.
ECDA has been working closely with operators to accelerate hiring plans and locate affected employees from sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, including intensifying efforts to reach and locate job seekers midway through career through professional conversion programs.
At the same time, the agency has been working with operators to provide around 500 short-term safe management assistant positions to implement safe management measures in preschoolers. Those deemed suitable for permanent positions can also be assigned to PCPs, where they undergo a skills conversion to enter the sector.
At the same press conference, the Minister of Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli, said that the sector has been “very resilient” amid the coronavirus crisis, and that it is still growing and hiring preschool teachers.
“Attrition is very low right now, and it is also a very rewarding sector for our citizens, as well as for those looking for a job to enter,” he added.
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