SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
Saskatchewan Polytechnic receives $4.5 million to add 65 new seats for early childhood educators through Building the Future

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has received $4.5 million from the Government of Saskatchewan to increase training opportunities for early childhood educators. With this funding the Building the Future project will continue to provide seven funded opportunities for early childhood education and has further expanded its micro-credential offerings for 2023-24 academic year. Building the Future was launched by Sask Polytech's School of Continuing Education in 2021 and has offered over 3,000 micro-credentials and funded over 2,805 seats of early learning education for students.

"Our government is pleased to provide funding to continue supporting the growth and development of early childhood educators." Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill said. "We are excited to see Saskatchewan Polytechnic help develop this workforce, which we know is crucial to the long-term sustainability of the childcare sector in our province."

"Thank you to the Government of Saskatchewan for investing in our early childhood education programs," says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech CEO and president. "This funding enables us to increase the number of seats and offer tuition-free enrollment for students participating in the School of Continuing Education's Building the Future program to meet the needs of Saskatchewan's parents and children."

Sask Polytech Early Childhood Education programs integrate the most current research on early childhood education into curriculum. Courses are available for everyone from high school students to experienced childhood educators. These courses can be used towards a credential in Early Childhood Education and/or an Early Childhood Educator certification with the Saskatchewan Government.

"We have seen an overwhelming interest in early childhood education training since Building the Future was introduced in 2021. This project is helping meet the demand for qualified early childhood educators in Saskatchewan and supporting the needs of the industry," says Stephanie Mulhall, manager of Flexible Leaning at Sask Polytech. "It's incredibly rewarding to help early childhood educators build their careers without the financial restraints of training."

Sask Polytech's funded Early Childhood Education programs and micro-credentials are free of charge; tuition and resources are covered. This includes the Early Childhood Education Dual Credit Level 1 certification for Saskatchewan high school students, Early Childhood Education Level 1 for those involved in the childcare sector, Early Childhood Education Accelerated Level 2 and Early Childhood Education Accelerated Level 3. These programs will expand the pipeline of workers entering the early learning sector.

The Autism certificate of achievement is open to the community, parents and professionals to provide training that responds to a growing demographic of service providers supporting children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Leadership Skills certificate of achievement provides early childhood educators with the skills required to propel the industry forward and continue to meet the expanding needs of the economy. Early Childhood Education Surge Micro-credentials are also offered.