ECE Virtual Diploma Program: Looking for a career in early childhood education?

In our ongoing commitment to building a strong, highly qualified, and stable early childhood educator (ECE) workforce, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) is pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to offer a full-time virtual ECE diploma program for applicants living and planning to work as an ECE in hard-to-recruit areas. 

Program Overview

  • Full-time, two-year diploma program beginning September 2022 – April 2024.
  • Virtual synchronous delivery – classes are online at scheduled times to engage with your instructors and classmates.
  • Work experiences (practicums) are credit courses, providing you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills outside of the classroom.
  • Spend a significant part of your time with children of all ages, observing and supporting their learning in a variety of settings.
  • Develop a portfolio of your work; the portfolio captures your achievements and profiles your skills to employers.
  • Complete Emergency First Aid/CPR Level C as part of the program.



Free Tuition and Priority Admission

EECD is fully funding the costs of tuition, textbooks, and other program fees for applicants living and planning to work as an ECE in one of the following designated areas:

  • Northern (Pictou and Antigonish Counties)
  • South Shore (Lunenburg and Queens Counties)
  • Western Cape Breton (Inverness, Victoria & Richmond Counties).
  • Residents of the above designated areas will be prioritized for admission; all others will be added to a waitlist.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding and priority admission:

  • Applicants must live in one of the above hard-to-recruit areas, and also be permanent residents of Nova Scotia.
  • Temporary foreign workers, international students, or any other person in Canada on a temporary resident visa do not qualify.

NSCC Admission Requirements

  • High school graduation diploma or equivalent. 
  • Please visit the NSCC website for full admission requirements.
     

How to Apply

Apply directly through the NSCC website (eCampus, full-time, synchronous, online program).

Application Deadline: Apply by August 1, 2022.

Questions? Please email Trish Farry, Project Manager, at trish.farry@nscc.ca.