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ECE PLAR for Licence
Early Childhood Education (ECE) PLAR for Licence service
Are you currently working in the field of Early Childhood Education, and wish to earn your licence? The Douglas College ECE Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) service can help. You can earn recognition for the work experience you’ve already completed in the field, and apply it towards the training needed to acquire an ECE licence.
This service is designed to assist experienced Early Childhood Education practitioners in their claims for professional competency, and to guide candidates in acquiring a licence to practice as Early Childhood Educators in BC.
Benefits
- Complete your assessment from anywhere in BC (dependent on availability of Mentor/Assessors in your area)
- Save time – could save you up to 2 years of the training time required to obtain an ECE licence
- Save money – assessment fees are considerably less than tuition fees for the ECE training that’s otherwise required for licencing
The application deadline for this service is April 1 of each year. You will complete your assessment by June 30 the following year.
Keep in mind that acceptance into the ECE PLAR service does not guarantee automatic success. It will take continuous commitment over several months for you to identify relevant learning and to generate evidence to support your claims for competency.
This service is one of the many PLAR services offered by Douglas College. For more information about PLAR and some useful tools, see the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition website.
Find out more
- Who is eligible for ECE PLAR for Licence Service?
- Overview of ECE PLAR for Licence Service
- How to apply for this service
- ECE PLAR for Licence Costs
- Frequently Asked Questions about the ECE PLAR for Licence
- Resources For Candidates
- Contact information
Who is eligible for ECE PLAR for Licence?
You are eligible for this service if you:
- Have three to five years experience in an ECE setting in BC and possess learning that you believe is equivalent to one or more components of the B.C. Early Childhood Education licence – Basic, Infant Toddler or, Special Needs options (Applicants with less than three years experience can ask about PLAR for ECE credit as a part time student)
- Have been referred to the Assessment Service by the Early Childhood Educator Registry, Ministry of Children and Family Development or a Licencing Officer
Overview of ECE PLAR for licence Service
Significant learning occurs in the workplace and through other activities such as volunteer and community service. As a result, many people accumulate knowledge that may be equivalent to college credit, credential credit or licence competency recognition. Through the ECE PLAR for licence service, you are given the opportunity to achieve your career goals through the process of collecting and generating evidence of learning, or portfolio development.
You will work through a self-directed study manual to create a portfolio of prior learning, assisted by a Mentor/Assessor. While examining your work experience, you will identify learning that meets contemporary professional standards and levels of competency for your field of practice. Recognition as competent will be awarded if there is a strong match between the demonstration of actual learning and the learning areas of the licence.
For a detailed outline of the assessment process, see the ECE PLAR flowchart (pdf)
How to apply for this service
The application deadline for this service is April 1. The assessment is scheduled so the portfolio process will be completed within the next school calendar year (by June 30). You can contact Susan Vincent, PLAR Facilitator at 604-527-5589 or vincents@douglascollege.ca for assistance with the application process.
The application fee for the PLAR assessment service is $200 (payable by cheque). This fee includes processing and review of the application. Please make cheques payable to ECE PLAR Service Douglas College. Include your payment in the application package that you submit to Douglas College.
ECE PLAR for licence costs
The costs of the ECE PLAR for licence are built into each stage of the service, so the frequency of payments is based on how quickly you complete the service. You pay fees according to the following schedule:
| Schedule for fees: | ||
|
$200.00 | |
|
To be paid when portfolio begins | $500.00 |
|
To be paid when Portfolio submitted | $500.00 |
|
To be paid before Demonstration Visit | $500.00 |
|
To be paid after Demonstration Visit | $500.00 |
| Total Cost | $2,200.00 | |
Frequently Asked Questions about the ECE PLAR for licence service
Please see ECE PLAR for licence FAQ (pdf) for common questions asked about the service. If you have further questions, you can contact us
Resources for candidates
Useful Links:
Download the professional ECE licensing handbook: The Early Childhood Educator in British Columbia: A Guide to Registration and Renewal Procedures (pdf)
BC Ministry of Children & Family Development’s Early Childhood Educator Registry
For general information on the PLAR process in Canada, see Recognition for Learning
Other Resources:
For help in preparing your ECE PLAR Portfolio, see the Candidate’s Checklist (pdf)
Contact information
Contact:
Susan Vincent
PLAR Facilitator
604-527-5589
Email - vincents@douglascollege.ca
Street Address:
PLAR
Room 2600
700 Royal Avenue
New Westminster, BC
Mailing Address:
Douglas College Faculty of Child, Family, Community Studies
Attn: Susan Vincent
PO Box 2503
New Westminster, BC
V3L 5B2
