Program Summary
Holland College’s pilot project was the design, development, and delivery of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Year 2 Blended program.
The purpose of the program was to offer Early Childhood Assistants (ECA’s), working in Prince Edward Island and who already had their one-year ECA Certificate, the opportunity, while maintaining their employment, to complete the second year of Holland College’s ECCE program and obtain their Early Childhood Educator Diploma. In PEI, this would mean ECA’s with provincial Level 2 Certification could achieve a Level 3.
Up until the time of the new program, year 2 of the ECCE program was only available in a face-to-face, full-time format. In this new program, the ten, year 2 courses offered were the same as those in the existing program but instead of being delivered full-time, face-to-face in a 1-year period, they were offered part-time, via blended delivery over a 2-year period. Each course was offered in the evening or on weekends, and there were no courses offered in the summer months.
Admission requirements
In addition to specified full-time ECCE admission requirements, students applying to the new program must have obtained their ECA Certificate from an accredited or recognized institution within 10 years of the program start date.
A detailed list of admission requirements to the current ECCE program can be found at Holland College | Early Childhood Care and Education.
Program length
The project started in late October 2020 with the hiring of an Instructor and Instructional Designer. The first intake of students was January 2021 all of whom graduated in June 2023.
Equity and diversity
Potential program students included uncredentialed early childhood educators, women, youth, newcomers, and mid-career workers.
Industry partners
Holland College’s ECCE Year 2 Blended pilot project submission was supported by PEI’s Early Childhood Development Association (ECDA) and the Province of Prince Edward Island both of whom continue to address the current and expected shortfall in the Island’s early childhood education workforce.
