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Early childhood educators

OaSIS code 42202.01

Early childhood educators plan, organize, and implement programs for children between the ages of infancy and 12 years. They lead children in activities to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical and emotional growth and ensure their security and well-being. Supervisors of early childhood educators are included in this occupation.

Overview

Also known as

  • Child care worker - daycare
  • Early childhood supervisor

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Develop and implement child-care programs that support and promote the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of children
  • Lead activities by telling or reading stories, teaching songs, taking children to local points of interest and providing opportunities to express creativity through the media of art, dramatic play, music and physical activity
  • Plan and maintain an environment that protects the health, security and well-being of children
  • Assess the abilities, interests and needs of children and discuss progress or problems with parents and other staff members
  • Observe children for signs of potential learning or behavioural problems and prepare reports for parents, guardians or supervisor
  • Guide and assist children in the development of proper eating, dressing and toilet habits
  • Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with co-workers and community service providers working with children
  • May plan and organize activities for school-age children in child-care programs before and after regular school hours
  • May supervise and coordinate activities of other early childhood educators and early childhood educator assistants.

Additional information

  • Progression to senior positions, such as daycare supervisor, is possible with several years of experience or with experience and advanced ECE qualification levels.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (41221)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

4 – Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

42 – Front-line public protection services and paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community, education services

Sub-major group

422 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Minor group

4220 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Unit group

42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants

Occupational profile

42202.01 – Early childhood educators

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Assisting and Caring for Others
5 - Highest Level
Coaching and Developing Others
4 - High Level
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
4 - High Level
Thinking Creatively
4 - High Level
Training and Teaching
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
4 - Close (at arm’s length)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
3 - About half the time
Standing
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
2 - Less than half the time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day

Workplaces/employers

  • Centres for exceptional children
  • Child-care centres
  • Day-care centres
  • Kindergartens

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Auditory Attention
3 - Moderate Level
Categorization Flexibility
3 - Moderate Level
Deductive Reasoning
3 - Moderate Level
Far Vision
3 - Moderate Level
Fluency of Ideas
3 - Moderate Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Learning and Teaching Strategies
5 - Highest Level
Instructing
4 - High Level
Social Perceptiveness
4 - High Level
Coordinating
3 - Moderate Level
Critical Thinking
3 - Moderate Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Adaptability
5 - Extremely important
Concern for Others
5 - Extremely important
Service Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Social Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Collaboration
4 - Highly important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: SEI

Social (S)

Social occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the interaction with others to inform, train, aid, develop, cure, or enlighten. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others, teaching, working or communicating with people.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Investigative (I)

Investigative occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the observation and systematic or creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena. These occupations require an extensive amount of thinking and frequently involve working with ideas, searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • Completion of a two- to four-year college program in early childhood education or a bachelor's degree in child development is required.
  • Licensing is required in Ontario and certification is required in British Columbia for early childhood educators. Licensing for early childhood educators is usually required in all other provinces and territories.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Clerical
2 - Intermediate Level
Client Service
2 - Intermediate Level
Languages
2 - Intermediate Level
Teaching
2 - Intermediate Level
Training, Mentoring and Coaching
2 - Intermediate Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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