The recruitment drive is on for early childhood educators to meet a spike in demand over the next several years.

It’s largely thanks to the federal-provincial child care plan that promises a pre-kindergarten pilot program in the fall, and $10-a-day child care in less than a year.

The pilot is expected to create 3,100 regulated spaces for four-year-olds by 2025-2026, which should open up more daycare spaces for younger kids.

The trick, however, will be ensuring there are enough qualified early childhood educators, or ECEs, in place by September.

Education Minister Tom Osborne says the wooing has already begun.

He says they’re not only focusing on keeping current Level III ECEs, but also going back through their database to contact and entice former Level II and III staff to come back into the fold.

Applications are now being accepted for the pre-kindergarten pilot project via PreK@gov.nl.ca.

If there aren’t enough ECEs to fill the need, recently-retired primary and elementary teachers will be considered.

Meanwhile, the province has announced plans to increase wages for Early Childhood Educators.

They say a wage grid for ECEs will be implemented by January 1, 2023. That could see wages for level II workers increased to between $25 and $26 an hour.

Other initiatives announced today include increased funding for several programs, increased post secondary seats, an “earn while you learn” program at CNA, and the establishment of an Early Learning and Child Care Minister’s Advisory Committee.