Job prospects Early Childhood Educator - Special Needs in Ontario

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "early childhood educator - special needs" in Ontario or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202) in Ontario for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What Types of Employers Are Out There?

• The majority are employed in child day-care services
• Elementary schools

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?

• Public sector investments in the child care system to create more day-care spaces and bolster the early childhood educator workforce
• Generally, steady opportunities as more parents participate in the workforce, and infant and toddler population grow

What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?

• The College of Early Childhood Educators regulates early childhood educators in Ontario
  • Only registered members of the College can practise the profession and use the protected titles “registered early childhood educator” (RECE), or “early childhood educator” (ECE)
• For early childhood assistants, there are two voluntary skilled trades available, namely, Child Development Practitioner, and Aboriginal Child Development Practitioner
• Valid First Aid and infant and child Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificates are usually required

What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?

• Early childhood educators and assistants may be required to work split shifts
• Some positions will be for individuals to work on call
• There will be fewer job opportunities in the education sector during the summer months.

Here are some key facts about Early childhood educators and assistants in Ontario:

• Approximately 75,000 people work in this occupation.
• Early childhood educators and assistants mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 76%
  • Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 18%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 77% compared to 81% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 23% compared to 19% for all occupations
• 36% of early childhood educators and assistants work all year, while 64% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 37 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• 10% of early childhood educators and assistants are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: less than 5% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: more than 95% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 16% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 52% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 20% compared to 24% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 5% compared to 13% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "early childhood educator - special needs" Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202) or across Canada.

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