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ECDA Training Award​ (ITE)

ECDA Training Awards
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Becoming an Early Childhood Educator
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ECDA Training Award​ (ITE)
You are now reading: ECDA Training Award​ (ITE)

ECDA Training Award (ITE)

The ECDA Training Award (ITE) is open to NIEC's Higher NITEC in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programme at ITE.​​

What the ECDA Training Award (ITE) offers

Key support from the ECDA Training Award ​includes the following:

  • Full course sponsorship of fees, capped at fees payable by Singapore Citizens
  • Learning Resource Grant of $1,000 for study-related expenses
  • Monthly study allowance of $500
  • Professional Development Grant, capped at $1,000 per academic year
  • Other professional development and networking opportunities provided by ECDA​

Eligibility Criteria

  • Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • First or second year student in full-time Higher NITEC in Early Childhood Education at (ITE) with endorsement from their lecturers.
  • Not concurrently hold or be serving out their bond for any scholarship, bursary or funding.

Conditions of ECDA Training Award (ITE)

Successful applicants will have to sign an agreement with ECDA. Award recipients are required to complete the course successfully according to the following requirements:

Duration to complete courseTo complete the course within a maximum of 24 months
Bond period

(Upon completion of course)		Fulfil a year’s bond to the Early Childhood sector (ECDA-registered/licensed pre-school or MOE Kindergarten) for every year of support received
Other conditionsTo complete the course within a maximum of 24 months

How to Apply

ECDA Training Award recipients will be selected via nominations by NIEC (ITE) lecturers in August/September (Year 2 students) or November/December (Year 1 students). Interested students may find out more from your lecturers or e-mail us at ECDA_PP@ecda.gov.sg.​

Funding Professional Development (PD) for Training Award Recipients

The Professional Development (PD) Grant of up to S$1,000 per academic year is given to every ECDA Training Award Recipient to attend Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and other professional learning courses conducted locally and supported by ECDA.

The PD Grant is provided on a reimbursement basis and you are required to submit a claim upon completion of the courses. Please download the PD Grant prospectus for more details.

If you have any enquiries, please e-mail us at ECD​A_PP@ecda.gov.sg.

Additional References

Start Well! - Induction Booklet for New Early Childhood Educators

The Induction Booklet for New Early Childhood Educators is developed to help ECDA Training Award recipients assimilate into the EC workforce. It provides an overview of the EC sector and relevant resources to help graduants as they begin their career as an EC professional. Please download a copy of the booklet here.​

E-Resource Guide for Early Childhood Employers

The e-Resource Guide for Early Childhood Employers is specially curated for employers in the EC sector to support new educators in their transition from school to work and career growth. It also contains links to other resources you may find useful for the educators’ professional development. You may download a copy of the guide here​​.​

The ECDA Training Award (ITE) supports deserving NIEC (ITE) students in the Higher NITEC in Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme, who are passionate about working with children and wish to have a career in the early childhood sector.​

Recipients will be eligible for funding support of up to $1,000 per academic year for Early Childhood Care and Education and other professional learning courses supported by ECDA (e.g. specialised courses in art, speech and drama and special needs). This funding support aims to better support recipients to deepen their knowledge and interest in these areas and apply the relevant expertise in the course of their work with children in future.

The PD Grant is provided on a reimbursement basis and recipients are required to submit a claim upon completion of the courses. Please download the PD Grant prospectus for more details. ​

ECDA Training Award (ITE) recipients are selected based on NIEC (ITE) lecturers’ recommendation. If you are keen to be nominated, please meet with your lecturers to discuss on how you may achieve your goal. ​​
Yes, ECDA Training Award (ITE) recipients may defer their bond to pursue the full-time Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at either NIEC (Ngee Ann Polytechnic) or NIEC (Temasek Polytechnic) after graduating from NIEC (ITE).
ECDA Training Award recipients are allowed to defer their bond only once. Therefore, if you had already deferred your bond once to pursue a Diploma in ECCE after graduating from NIEC (ITE), you will not be able to defer the bond again to pursue degree studies.
Yes, ECDA Training Award recipients are required to sign an Agreement with ECDA to ensure that they are committed to fulfil the obligations of the Training Award. We will hold a briefing to share with you on the contents of the Agreement (i.e. the benefits you will receive and the obligations to be fulfilled) and how to sign it.

Yes. You will need to nominate either one or two sureties, with at least one parent as a surety. The Surety/Sureties must fulfil the following requirements:

One Surety

  • Singapore Citizen/Singapore PR
  • Gainfully employed and drawing a gross income of at least $3,000 per month; or
  • Provide proof of asset
  • Above 21 years old, but under 65 years of age
  • Not party to an existing award, bursary, or study loan agreement.
  • Not acting as a Surety or Guarantor in any capacity for any other person in an existing Award, bursary, or study loan agreement.
  • Not an undischarged bankrupt

Two Sureties

  • 1st Surety: Singapore Citizen
  • 2nd Surety: Singapore Citizen/Singapore PR
  • Gainfully employed and drawing a gross income of at least $1,500 per month each
  • Above 21 years old, but under 65 years of age
  • Not party to an existing award, bursary, or study loan agreement.
  • Not acting as a Surety or Guarantor in any capacity for any other person in an existing Award, bursary, or study loan agreement.
  • Not an undischarged bankrupt
No, ECDA Training Award recipients may choose to fulfil your bond at any ECDA-registered/licensed pre-school or MOE Kindergarten. While you may change employer/centre during your bond period, you are strongly encouraged to remain in the same centre/organisation in order to gain sufficient experience before moving to the next centre/organisation.

You and your surety will be jointly liable to pay for Liquidated Damages to ECDA if the Training Award is terminated or if you break the bond.

The Liquidated Damages are calculated based on the total amount of benefits disbursed by ECDA plus compound interest per annum. The Liquidated Damages will be reduced proportionately if you have served part of the bond.