SOUTHEAST SASK. — Southeast College announced Tuesday morning the receipt of $1.68 million in funding for the 2024-26 period to support their Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs. This funding will benefit full-time and part-time ECE programs across Estevan, Kahkewistahaw First Nation and Cowessess First Nation campuses (full-time), as well as Weyburn, Indian Head, Moosomin and Assiniboia campuses (part-time).
The programs will offer training at Levels I, II and III, entirely cost-free to domestic students, covering tuition, books and materials. The objective of this funding is to enhance the certification levels of early childhood educators in Saskatchewan.
This means up to 211 SE College students can receive free training, significantly contributing to the development of qualified ECE professionals in the province.
Jody Holzmiller, interim president and CEO expressed her excitement about the funding approval: "The two-year funding agreement is greatly appreciated. Having a two-year agreement in place will allow students to enroll tuition-free while obtaining their diploma. This funding, in addition to the delivery model southeast has implemented, which allows students to remain employed during their schooling, is a win-win situation for students and early learning centre’s in the southeast region."
Providing free access to this type of training is crucial for many reasons, the college noted. It reduces financial barriers for students, allowing them to pursue their education without the burden of tuition costs. This initiative also helps to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators by making it easier for individuals to enter and advance in this vital field.
Holzmiller highlights the importance of this funding: "This significant investment not only strengthens our commitment to early education but also underscores our dedication to the families and labor force of the southeast region of Saskatchewan. It represents a crucial step towards enhancing the quality of early childhood education and ensuring that our communities have access to well-trained professionals."
This initiative is part of a broader $1.1 billion investment under the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for 2021-22 to 2025-26. The federal government and the province have committed to increasing the number of regulated childcare spaces by 28,000 and providing $10 per day regulated childcare spaces to families. This funding is provided by the Ministry of Education of Saskatchewan and falls under the quality pillar of the agreement, aimed at recruiting and retaining qualified early child care employees to support developmentally appropriate programming in regulated childcare facilities.
