Image Credits: aic.edu.sg
So you want to enter the early childhood industry?
Hold your horses.
As someone with a foot in and enough research, I would advise you to know the requirements before jumping in.
And even if you have enough theoretical knowledge on the ins and outs of the early childhood sector, my tip for you would be to try it out as a career part-time/full-time first.
I’ll let you in on the “stories” when the time is right but for this particular post, let’s focus on the nitty-gritty of how to enter the early childhood industry as a mid-careerist.
Ready? Let’s get into it.
Where to get trained?
Many institutions are offering early childhood programs but if there’s one that I would recommend for “name’s sake”, it would be the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC).
Why, you may ask.
Well, mainly because it’s a training institute set up by MOE itself and it’s also the place where trainee teachers get trained to become full-fledged teachers in MOE schools.
You’re likely in good hands.
But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the other recognized institutions are subpar; I’m just recommending one that I think would look nice on your resume.
Course & career preview by NIEC
We’re just in time for NIEC’s upcoming event, a course & career preview—like a sharing session of sorts to help you find out more information.
It’s coming up this week, 6 May 2023, on a Saturday.
There are two sharing sessions, one at 10 am, and another after lunch, at 1 pm.
It’s specially created for mid-careerists who are keen to enter the early childhood sector so this event is a perfect chance for you to get enlightened on more.
There are also partner preschool operators on-site where you can even get to speak to potential employers and learn more about existing job opportunities!
If you’re keen to attend, you can register at this link: bit.ly/CCP6MAY
Here’s the official post from NIEC themselves:
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What courses do you qualify for?
We’ve still got some time left till the course preview by NIEC so maybe you can take this time to read up more on the courses you qualify for.
The good thing is that there is a clear career progression in the early childhood industry in Singapore so you immediately know what courses to take if you’re serious about entering the sector.
And that is based on your academic qualifications.
Here’s the breakdown and details.
If you’ve completed your Secondary 4 Education, you can enroll in these courses:
- Advanced Certificate in Early Years (ACEY)
- 幼儿保育高级证书 [ACEY in Chinese]
ACEY will take 8 months or 14 months respectively (depending on your intake) to complete. Upon completion of the course, you will be certified as an EY2 educator by ECDA and be qualified to care for infants and kids from 2 months to 3 years of age.
Course fees
For those with 3 O-level credits:
- Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education (ACECCE)
ACECCE is a 13- or 20-month course that will certify you as an L1 teacher. With ACECCE, you will be eligible to teach pre-nursery and nursery children from 18 months to 4 years old. Depending on the childcare or preschool needs, you may also be assisting K1 and K2 classes.
Course fees
For those with 5 O-level credits:
- Diploma in Early Childhood Care & Education – Teaching (DECCE-T)
- 幼儿教育专业文凭课程 [DECCE-T in Chinese]
DECCE-T will take 18 to 30 months to complete. Upon graduation, you will gain an L2 certification that allows you to care for and teach children aged 18 months to 6 years old. Those who do not have a minimum B4 grade for English Language (EL1) will need to obtain a minimum band of 6.5 in IELTS (General) or other ELAA within 2 years.
Course fees
Folks with a degree or local poly diploma:
- Diploma (Conversion) in Early Childhood Care & Education-Teaching [DECCE-T (Conversion)]
- 幼儿保育与教育专业文凭（转业课程）[DECCE-T (Conversion in Chinese)]
DECCE-T (Conversion) is the last on this list for mid-careerist. It’s similar to the DECCE-T, except that it’s shorter in the training period. It will take you just 9 to 13 months to complete training.
Looks attractive, isn’t it? But as short as the training period is, be mindful that it’s going to be 10x more stressful since the knowledge that needs to be imparted to you is cramped within that short period.
I’ve seen friends and acquaintances undergo the DECCE-T while working at an early childhood center full-time and honestly, it’s not something I would want to go through. But if you’re serious about making that switch and don’t mind a stressful ride for long-term “gain”, go ahead!
Course fees
What if you’re not sure about making the switch?
Making a mid-career switch can be scary and if you’re 100% sure about being a full-fledged early childhood educator, I would advise you NOT to go for training just yet.
Look out for assistant teacher job opportunities first, where you play an assistant role to a trained teacher. By being an assistant teacher first, you will be aiding alongside the main teachers, which gives you a firsthand account of what your life is going to be like when you have to finally lead a class.
As with most jobs, being a “teacher” is not just about “teaching”. There are lots of things that go behind the scenes that most won’t see unless they’ve been through it. So I urge you to get yourself in the game first and give yourself some time to be fully immersed in the life of an early childhood educator before you decide if you want to spend that money/sign a bond and go for training.
Good luck with your new journey!
