Hundreds of daycare workers graduate after introduction of Quebec work-study program

Questions raised about Quebec daycare admissions As talks are underway in Quebec City about daycare admissions reform, some are sounding the alarm over the government's plans.

Quebec's shortage of qualified childcare workers is nothing new, but some proposed solutions are now seeing positive results.

This comes after the Social Economy and Community Action Labour Sector Committee (CSMO-ÉSAC) launched two projects allowing educators to complete their studies while working.

According to data obtained by The Canadian Press, nearly 300 educators have graduated after completing their studies while working since 2021, and a few hundred more should qualify in 2023-2024.

In fall 2023, there was record enrolment: 550 people applied for the Early Childhood Work-Study program.

A further 130 had their prior learning recognized under the recognition of acquired competencies RAC96 project, and hundreds more have applied since 2022.

"It's a job that takes more than you think," said Philippe Julien, 24, who is enrolled in the work-study program. "You have to give it 100 per cent. Without the studies, it's as if we're missing so many tools to enable us to support the children in the best way possible."

Julien is one of the few men in his program to have stuck it out until graduation because, he says, some realized it's a time-consuming profession.

In his case, he says, his employer was very accommodating in helping him through the most difficult times of his studies.

"It's to the advantage of the community and society to have qualified educators in daycare centres," added Julie Frappier, director of the RAC96 project at CSMO-ÉSAC.

As of next March, two out of every three educators must be qualified -- a ratio reduced during the pandemic, prompting criticism of the quality of services to children.

Frappier notes the work-study approach is beneficial for employees, who can work and study simultaneously, and for the employer, who can count on educators a few times a week in the context of a labour shortage.

"It was really about creating the right conditions to entice as many people as possible, to interest them in the profession," she explained.

It also gives employers "quicker access to qualified educators," she added.

Jennifer Brichet, an educator on maternity leave, has had her qualifications recognized through the RAC96 project, having worked in childcare in her native France.

She says she opted for this approach to improve her skills, even though she had already been trained in France.

"It's a plus because we train with professionals, we have documents that they give us for reference, and I find that it's going to improve my perception of the profession," she said.

Brichet says the training she received in France was much less in-depth than in Quebec.

"It's really different. I find that here, it's a caring approach to early childhood, and that really appealed to me," she said.

According to the CSMO-ÉSAC, in 2021, there was a shortage of 10,000 early childhood educators.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 23, 2023.