Free training for early childhood educators coming to Sask.

People interested in becoming an early childhood educator can get their training for free in Saskatchewan.

The provincial government said Monday it has partnered with Collège Mathieu, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and Saskatchewan Polytechnic to make early childhood education training available at no charge.

Those three post-secondary institutions have programming available starting in the 2022-23 school year.

“Early childhood educators have a positive impact on the learning and development of Saskatchewan’s youngest learners,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said in a media release. “That’s why we are working with post-secondary institutions to deliver training opportunities for ECEs and those who want to work in early learning and child care.”

Saskatchewan is putting nearly $9 million into training and professional development grants for the early learning and child-care sector. It’s one of many programs delivered through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

The agreement involves federal funding of nearly $1.1 billion over five years for regulated early learning and child-care programs and services for children under the age of six in Saskatchewan.

The program’s goal is to reduce average fees for regulated child care to $10 a day by the end of March 2026.

According to the government’s release, ECEs, regulated child-care home providers and child-care home assistants will get priority for enrolment, but others looking to become ECEs or to open their own family child-care home also can sign up.

The government said most of the training is done online so that students can take it in the evenings and on weekends.

More information is available on the Collège Mathieu, SIIT and Sask Polytech websites.