Press Releases

New three-year programme aims to deepen skills of educarers to take on larger job roles​

28 July 2017 

Strengthening Child Development in the Early Years 

3. The PDP for Educarers will serve to strengthen the quality child development in the early years. The core training will equip educarers with the knowledge and skills to develop Respectful, Responsive and Reciprocal (3Rs) interactions with infants and toddlers. PDP participants will learn how to systematically build trusting relationships with infants and toddlers. 

4. Participants will also receive ECDA’s newly-developed professional learning package, which comprises a guide book on the “3Rs” and video clips depicting typical real-life scenarios in local pre-schools.  The package was developed in line with ECDA’s Early Years Development Framework to enable educarers to apply the “3Rs” in daily interactions with children and develop strategies for teamwork and centre-family partnerships.

5. As with the PDP for Teachers inaugurated last year, Educarers on the PDP can receive milestone cash awards of up to $12,000, in recognition of their commitment and contribution as part of the programme. 

6. More than 250 pre-school teachers have benefitted from the PDP for Teachers since the inaugural intake in 2016. A PDP for Leaders is also being developed. 

Annex A

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

1. Who can qualify for the PDP for Educarers? 

Educarers, including Infant Educarers, can be nominated for the programme, as long as they fulfil the competencies described under the Skills Framework for Early Childhood Care & Education and the following eligibility criteria:

Nominees should (a) preferably have at least 3 years of trained teaching experience in the early childhood sector; (b) be currently employed in a pre-school registered or licensed with ECDA; (c) be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident; and (d) be nominated by their current operator. 

2. What are the progression pathways for participants on the PDP for Educarers? 

Through PDP, educarers will further develop their competencies so that they can be better prepared to take on larger job roles, such as Senior Educarers. They can also take up modules to be subsequently qualified to care for a wider age group of children.

3. What can educarers look forward to under the PDP for Educarers? 

Educarers can look forward to a variety of professional development (PD) activities that can be completed at their own pace within 3 years and according to their own interest and aspirations. The PD activities include:

 a. Core Training on the Curriculum Resources under ECDA’s Early Years Development Framework: 
      This course is designed to enable Educarers to better understand the 3Rs – Respectful,        
      Responsive and Reciprocal interactions, apply the 3Rs in daily interactions and relationships   
      with children and develop strategies for teamwork and centre-family partnerships. 

 b. Communities of Practice: This is to encourage active contribution and co-creation of knowledge
     and learning of skills among Educarers. 

 c. Showcase of Learning: This is to showcase learning and facilitate exchange of ideas and best
     practices among Educarers.  

 d. Electives:  

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
• Teacher training programme modules that allow educarers to subsequently attain qualifications to care for a wider age group of children (e.g. CET DECCE-T pre-requisite modules, ACEY Top-up modules, ACECCE pre-requisite modules and ACEY pre-requisite modules*). These in turn provide more options to educarers for career progression. 
• Projects (Innovation or Practitioner Inquiry Grant projects or Centre-based projects) (Note:* CET DECCE-T: CET Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education - Teaching; ACEY Top-up: Advanced Certificate in Early Years Top-up; ACECCE: Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education.)

4. What does the Core Training Programme comprise?

To support educarers in developing professional competencies that are required to fulfil larger job roles, a compulsory training programme titled: (3Rs) Interactions: Building Trusting Relationships with Infants and Toddlers, was developed and included as part of the PDP for Educarers. Focusing on the significance of children’s emotional development and well-being, the training programme helps educarers develop positive interactions and build trusting relationships with the infants and toddlers under their care. 

Participants will learn theories and research on infant and toddler development, as well as skills and practical strategies to improve their centre’s practices in interacting with and building trusting relationships with children. 

5. What is the Early Years Development Framework, and how does it benefit educarers? 

The Early Years Development Framework (EYDF) provides broad guidelines for educarers to deliver quality care and learning practices for infants, toddlers and nursery children. Educarers will find the guiding principles and desired outcomes a useful compass in creating safe and enriching learning environments for young children, enhancing professional development and fostering strong partnerships with families and the community. The framework comes with a guide book which helps support educarers to implement best practices effectively in their centres. 

6. What are the learning resources developed to support the training programme? 

The training programme includes the use of a professional learning package that will be presented as part of the training materials. The package comprises a guide and series of videos which are designed to deepen understanding on the various topics covered, and emphasise the practical tips and strategies participants can adopt/adapt to improve their current practices. To help educarers relate better to the videos and apply the lessons to their practice, the adult-child interactions depicted are everyday activities that occur frequently in local centre-based settings.

7. How does ECDA support educarers in terms of funding for programme components?  

Educarers can receive subsidies provided by ECDA or SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) for the compulsory core training, CPD courses and teacher training programme modules they attend. For innovation and Practitioner Inquiry Grant projects, participating preschools can receive funding from ECDA to support the project implementation.

Educarers on the PDP receive a cash award up to $12,000, in recognition of their additional contributions and professional competencies. This is given when programme and service milestones are met over the 3-year period. Educarers need to demonstrate commitment by remaining employed in their nominating organisations during the course of the PDP, and for at least six months after the end of each PDP year to receive the cash award.  

8. How many educarers can we expect for the PDP for Educarers? 

The number of participants will depend on the quality of nominations received and response from the operators and educarers. We expect around 200 candidates to benefit from PDP(E) over the next four years. 

9. When is the next nomination period for the next batch of PDP for Educarers? 

The nomination window for the next batch of PDP(Educarers) will be in the first half of next year.