The College of the North Atlantic says the provincial government’s wage grid and incentives for early childhood educators are paying off.
Davida Smith, Dean of Academics, Applied Arts and Tourism at CNA, says total enrollment for their ECE program, including both part and full-time students, is currently at 608.
She says they have seen a big increase since the incentives were introduced—noting that previous years saw enrollment between 450 to 480.
Smith notes there has been an impact on former ECEs.
She says they’re seeing former educators who are being attracted back to the field because of the incentives.
Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell adds that government has also had some success with attracting international applicants to the province, but did not have any specific recruitment numbers.