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Early Childhood Educator Training Courses

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Early Childhood Educator Training Courses
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Early Childhood Educator Training Courses
You are now reading: Early Childhood Educator Training Courses

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR TRAINING COURSES

​The quality and standards of care, development and learning are determined by the quality of training received by early childhood educators with specialised training in child development are able to create a warm and conducive learning environment to develop children’s social and emotional competencies and nurture their love for learning.

ECDA supports a number of professional training courses designed to equip trainees with the knowledge and skills to become effective facilitators in the classroom. The course that you choose will depend on your qualifications, experience and the age group of children you would like to work with.​​

For those who wish to work with children 18 months – 6 years For those who wish to work with children 18 months – 4 years For those who wish to work with children 2 months – 3 years For those who wish to work with children 2 months – 18 months For those who possess a Polytechnic Diploma or Degree​ For those who wish to be an Assistan​t Early Years Educator​ For those who wish to be a Mother Tongue Language Educator

Important notes

From 2 Jan 2024, when requested by ECDA, applicants will have to submit verification proof for their foreign qualification to the Private Training Agencies (PTAs) for course application. PTAs will advise the applicants accordingly should verification proof be required to be submitted. The verification proof should meet all the requirements below:

  • Confirms that the qualifications are genuine.
  • Is obtained from one of the global verification agencies listed below.

List of global verification agencies:


If you intend to embark on a certificate or diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education conducted in Singapore, you should attend a certificate or diploma programme conducted at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC) or ECDA-accredited programmes conducted by Private Training Agencies (PTAs). You may view the list of ECDA-accredited programmes here​.
The SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) provides Singaporeans and Permanent Residents with subsidies for programmes accredited under the Singapore Skills Framework. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents also enjoy subsidised fees at local Polytechnics. For more information of the programmes fees, please contact the training agencies or polytechnics of your choice.

Applicants who possess a Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education (CECCE) or Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education (ACECCE) or WSQ ACECCE and a credit in GCE ‘O’ level English Language (or acceptable alternatives) can apply to the DECCE-T programme offered by the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC). Applicants will be subjected to NIEC’s further assessment for course eligibility. For more details on course content and application procedures, please refer to: National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC)

ECDA does not accredit nor recognise early childhood degree or master programmes as the basic qualification required to be certified as a preschool educator in Singapore to teach children between 18 ​months and 6 years old is the Diploma in Early Childhood Care & Education – Teaching (DECCE-T), WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education – Teaching (WSQ PDECCE-T) or equivalent.​

To help Singapore citizens adapt to changing job demands and enhance their employability, Career Trial has been enhanced to allow employers and individuals to better assess job fit across various sectors, including the Early Childhood sector. The Career Trial is part of the suite of career services offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Employment and Employability Institute (NTUC’s e2i). For more information, please kindly contact WSG’s Careers Contact at 6883 5885 or NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) centres at 6474 0606. You can download a copy of the Career Trial Activities Form here.
Kindergarten teachers, child care teachers and preschool teachers are also referred to as early childhood educators. More information about being an early childhood (EC) educator, such as the qualities of an EC educator, the careers in early childhood, the types of support available, can be found here​.