About Our Early Childhood Education Programs
To become a Certified Early Childhood Educator in B.C., you are required to complete a training program from an approved educational institution, such as Stenberg College in Canada. Graduates of our program will be registered with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development’s ECE Registry.
ECE Basic Certificate
Our ECE Basic certificate is 69 weeks and includes eight weeks of practicum experience. Graduates are prepared to support the learning and development of children between the ages of three and five.
After only two months in the program, you will receive your ECE Assistant License and be able to work part-time as an ECE Assistant. A requirement to work as an Early Childhood Education Assistant in a licensed childcare facility in BC is to be certified by the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Registry. Stenberg College’s ECE Basic Program students can request a transcript upon completing the Early Childhood Education Assistant courses offered within our ECE Registry-recognized ECE Basic Program and apply for certification through the ECE Registry’s equivalency process. For more information about the process, visit the ECE Registry website.
NOTE: Stenberg College does not have a stand-alone recognized Early Childhood Education Assistant program with the ECE Registry or PTIB. However, we offer a fully recognized ECE Basic Certificate Program, an ECE Post-Basic Infant Toddler Early Childhood Educator Program, an ECE Post-Basic Special Needs Early Childhood Educator Program, and a Combined Post-Basic Infant Toddler and Special Needs Early Childhood Educator program.
ECE Post-Basic Diploma
Our Post-Basic diploma is 29 weeks and includes 12 weeks of practicum experience. You will gain the skills to support infants and toddlers (children from infancy to three years of age), and children with special needs. It will also prepare you for a broader range of administrative responsibilities, including working in a supervisory capacity as a manager, consultant, or daycare owner.
Cooperative Work Experience
You will have the option to add a 23-week paid co-op to your program. This is designed for Early Childhood Education students to apply the program outcomes through a work experience component. Students are able to apply theory into context and enhance the skills learned within their program of study. This experience aims to provide students with an understanding of the work experience within a Canadian setting.
Admission Requirements
- Grade 12 graduation or Mature Student Status (19 years of age or older)
- Grade 10-level English course or higher, or one of the following:
- Acceptable score in one of the approved LPR tests as noted above.
- Accuplacer: Reading 230, Writing 230 and WritePlacer 3
- CLBPT: No component less than 5
- English challenge exam (minimum 65%)
- Successful completion of the online Computer Skills Entrance Test (minimum 70%)
- Completion of Stenberg College informational interview as part of the admissions procedure
- Completion of a Criminal Record Consent Form under the Criminal Record Review Act as part of the admissions procedure
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT (LPR):
English is the language of instruction at Stenberg College. Therefore, all applicants must demonstrate an adequate level of English proficiency to ensure success in any program and courses by meeting one of the following minimum requirements:
- Evidence of completion of 3 years of full-time Secondary if Grades 8-12, or 2 years of Secondary if Grades 10-12, or 2 years of Post-Secondary education in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages. (Language courses cannot be included in this calculation)
OR
- Submit the results of one of the accepted English language proficiency tests at the score level specific to the program as listed in the admission requirements below.
- IELTS Academic – Overall band score of 5.5 with no component less than 5.0
- Duolingo – Overall score of 95 with no component less than 75
- CELPIP – Overall score of 6 with no component less than 5
- TOEFL – Minimum overall score of 50
- CAEL – Minimum overall score of 40
- Pearson PTE Academic – Minimum overall score of 45
OR
- Mature students that are 19 years of age or older at the start of the program and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education as outlined above can:
- complete an English Language Attestation to confirm completion of 3 years of full-time instruction in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages, AND
- complete an Accuplacer Next Generation English Assessment with minimum scores of: Reading 230, Writing 230 and WritePlacer 3
Evidence may be demonstrated by providing a high school transcript, completion of a provincial Adult Graduation program, permanent student record, GED, or by providing international education credentials confirming medium of instruction in English as recognized through WES, ICES, or IQAS. Alternatively, where 2 years of post-secondary education are being determined based on credits, it is expected that the student has taken studies with a minimum of18 credits per academic year and/or indicates completion of a minimum of36 credits in total.
For regulated programs, language proficiency requirements, including permitted tests and scores dictated by the regulatory body, will supersede all else.
Please note that this program is not eligible for the post-graduate work permit program.
