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SINGAPORE: There are currently more than 1,900 job opportunities in the early childhood sector, including jobs, internships and adjuncts, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in the latest edition of its employment status report on Monday (November 2). ).
Of these, the majority are jobs, and 85% of them are in professional, managerial, executive, and technical (PMET) roles, such as preschool teachers, center leaders, and child care service managers.
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Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo said that since most of these opportunities are jobs, it is clear that operators want to bring in people not just for internships and adjuncts, but because they are “sure of they have vacancies to fill. “
“One of the things people can worry about is ‘if I don’t have the necessary skills, will I be able to get this job?’ Now in fact … the industry really appreciates people who bring transferable skills from outside of this industry, ”Ms Teo said, noting that roughly three out of four who have joined this industry are mid-career workers. from other sectors.
Ms. Teo said that based on their interactions with instructors at the National Institute for Early Childhood Development (NIEC), people with “good service orientation” are strong candidates for a career in child care and education. early childhood.
“That, of course, would include people in the hospitality sector, in the retail sector, who have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The NIEC team said that service orientation is a key competency, it is something very valuable for early childhood. But the most important thing of all is the love for children and the interest in taking care of them, ”said the minister.
Despite the drop in enrollment at the NIEC during the “breaker” period, the institute posted a slight increase in enrollment this year, which “bodes well” for teachers already in the profession and those who They are interested in joining, Ms. Teo said.
MOM noted that a career in the early childhood sector can be “shocking and deeply satisfying” as employees take on the “important task” of educating children from 18 months.
“Beyond education, these talents in the EC (early childhood) sector also partner with parents and the community to care for the next generation, ensure their safety and support their growth.”
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More than 570 people were placed in jobs, company-organized internships and adjuncts in the early childhood sector between April and mid-October, the Labor Ministry said.
Educators can charge salaries ranging from S $ 1,800 to S $ 7,600 depending on the track they are on.
For example, those on the path of educators will work with children from two months to four years and can earn between S $ 1,800 and S $ 3,150, while those on the path of leaders will occupy leadership positions at the center or teachers and will reach S $ 3,100 for S $ 7,600.
These figures were released as part of a series of updates on the labor market.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Early Childhood Development (ECDA) has worked with preschool and childcare operators to provide around 500 short-term secure management assistant positions.
Insurance management assistants who are suitable for permanent roles can be assigned to career conversion programs to move into the early childhood sector.
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There are “many reasons” to continue growing the early childhood education and care sector, Ms Teo said.
“The main reason must be that in Singapore we will develop each child to their full potential, and this starts from their earliest years. So that should be the driving force.
“The second is, of course, that it is also very important to support families. And in the current context, we already have double-income families, both parents work. And a change that will continue is that even grandparents, many of them, they will continue to work, you know, for a variety of reasons, ”he added.
“The sector has also adjusted quickly to adapt to the changes. The EC educators had to innovate and create learning resources at home. They also had to improve their skills to take advantage of technology and stay connected with their students and parents, ”MOM said in the press release.
With a greater emphasis on the importance of early childhood development, preschool enrollment is expected to increase and drive demand for labor in the sector, the ministry added.
Noting that the sector is “doing well and growing,” Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said that pre-school enrollment today is around 180,000 and will increase to 200,000 in 2023.
“There are currently 21,000 preschool teachers and we are still hiring. So we are looking at the current pool of teachers that we need, the dropout rate is very low right now. And it is also a very rewarding sector for our citizens as well as those looking for a job to get into ”, he added.
Since demand for preschool teachers remains “healthy” during this period, salary increases have been “good,” with an increase of about 17 percent in the past three years, Masagos said.
“The whole sector understands what they need to acquire (and) when they can acquire it, so that they can move up their career. Therefore, it is a very good career sector for our citizens, for those who are looking for work, and well supported. welcome as many as possible to join us. “
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Job applicants who want to become early childhood educators must earn a certificate or diploma in early childhood offered by NIEC or ECDA accredited programs.
Mid-career individuals can join the early childhood sector through the Professional Conversion Programs for Preschool Teachers and the Place-and-Train Program for educators to gain the necessary skills and ECDA-accredited qualifications, MOM said.
In addition to the more specialized roles that require a certificate or diploma in early childhood, there are also opportunities in ancillary roles such as marketing, human resources, finance and administration.
“Despite being ancillary areas, these roles would still provide job seekers with a deeper insight into the EC sector, further paving their entry into the sector if they wish to embark on the path of the educator or educators.
“These roles also provide industry-relevant skills and soft skills that can increase your chances of landing a job in other sectors,” the ministry said.
