Work-Study Program

The program for employers

A financial support program to recruit, train, retain and graduate your new educators

Picture of brunette woman with short curly hair who is smiling looking at the camera.

Register now for an information session about the Winter 2026 cohort!

This online session is intended for all CPEs and daycares interested in the Winter 2026 cohort. This session will be held on December 10, and will be conducted in French.

Image of a woman and a man standing and smiling at the camera

What is the Work-Study Program?

The Early Childhood Work-Study Program (COUD) is a national support program for educational childcare services to reduce the shortage of educators in Québec.

This specific formula of the AEC program - Early Childhood Care and Education is adapted to the needs of the sector. For 18 months, employees in training alternate part-time work in an educational childcare service and studies at CEGEP each week.

Participating educational childcare services receive a monthly financial compensation to reimburse the salary paid during study hours, at the actual hourly rate of their employees in training, up to a maximum of $25 per hour.

How does it work?

The work-study formula begins in the first week to help employers meet their replacement needs.

Working hours are mandatory to acquire 3 competencies of the AEC program which will be validated through a process of Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) in step 3.

A 3-step course:

Step 1: alternating between theoretical courses and work for 49 weeks including a 90-hour introductory internship.
Step 2: alternating between internship and work for 12 weeks
Step 3: process of RAC (32 hours) to validate the last 3 competencies of the AEC, acquired while working*

At the very end, graduates of the Parcours receive an AEC - Early Childhood Care and Education. A passage to the DEC - Early Childhood Care and Education is possible if further studies are desired (not financed by the program).

* In several CEGEPs, a portion of the RAC (32h) may start at the beginning of the program to demonstrate an additional competency.

Download the employer's checklist

Hours worked during the Parcours count for the accumulation of significant hours in order to obtain the qualification later.

Recruitment of Winter 2026 semester is in progress! Publish your job offers to recruit candidates before January 18th 2026 !

Picture of a woman smiling face to camera

What educational childcare services are eligible?

This support program is offered to all CPE and educational childcares sevices throughout Quebec.

To register educational childcare services must hold a Québec enterprise number (NEQ) and a permit issued by the Ministère de la Famille.

Family daycare services, drop-in daycare centers and school daycare services are not eligible.

Please note: you cannot sign up your educational childcare service twice.

How to participate as an employer?

The 3 benefits for participating employeurs

We lend you a hand to recruit future educators

The online portal facilitates your recruitment process. Nothing could be easier: create and post your job offers, consult your applications online and select your future employee!

The best part? We take care of promoting your job offers through national communication campaigns, for each new school year!

We help you financially to train and retain your junior staff

You are able to remunerate your employees in training during their study time. The program refunds the current hourly rate of your employees in training during their study hours, up to $25 per hour maximum.

Access to training is a major benefit for the employees loyalty, so don't miss out!

You have a part-time workforce available from the start of the training

From the first day of the program your employees in training are available to work part-time in your workplace during working hours (excluding courses and approved holidays). During the school break (summer and winter), you can offer them the opportunity to work full time!

The 3 obligations for participating employers

Sign a contract with your educators in training

You must provide a temporary work contract for the entire duration of the program* with your educators admitted to the program by a CEGEP.

This contract must mention the hours of study and the hours of work offered, as well as the full remuneration for these hours.

*If your childcare service is attached to a collective agreement, the need for the employment contract may optional.

Consult the template

Sign the contract respecting the conditions of participation

Before the start of each cohort, you must sign the contract respecting the conditions of participation which commits you to:

Free up your educators in training to follow their study hours;
Offer an average of between 10 and 20 hours of paid work per week;
Ensure the health and safety (CNESST) of your staff during work and study hours;
Advance the remuneration of your educators in training during their study hours.

Validate monthly salary expense request

To receive financial compensation for the study hours of your educators in training, each month you must:

validate salary expense requests, which are sent directly to you by email;
AND provide pay stubs for the periods affected by the salary expense request, to confirm the amount reimbursed.

Rest assured, this process is explained to employers at the start of each cohort!

I want to take part in the Work-Study Program

Next cohort: Winter 2026

Step 1 I From now on

From now on, I update my information

I register my environment on the Early Childhood Work-Study portal

I connect to my Employer space to update all the information in my environment

Tip: neat logos, photos and descriptions catch the eye of candidates.

Step 2 I From November 17, 2025

I create my job offers

I connect to my Employer space and I create my job offers.

Please note that this step is mandatory to receive external applications. The registration of my childcare service on the portal is not enough.

Tip: a neat and comprehensive job offer is more attractive to candidates.

Step 3 I From November 24, 2025, to January 18, 2026

My job offers are posted, I recruit!

I receive external applications by email on my Employer Space and I conduct interviews;
From my Employer space, I modify the status of each application received;
I sign the promise of employment* with the selected candidate

*The job offer template is available in the Employer Kit.

Step 4 I January 19 and 20, 2026

I finalize my recruitment

From my Employer space (My applications), I check that everything is in order.

I must:

Indicate the appropriate status for each application received;

AND

Submit the nominative and signed promise of employment* for the selected applications

And after that?

As of February 2, 2026, only applications with the status "Retained for submission to CEGEP" and a nominative and signed promise of employment are sent to the CEGEP for study of their admission
Until February 20, 2026 the CEGEP contacts my selected candidates directly to finalize admission and registration for the program

*The job offer template is available in the Employer Kit.

Step 5 I From March 11 to March 13, 2026

I formalize my participation

Once my candidates have been admitted to the program by a CEGEP,

I make sure that the person has the prerequisites to work in early childhood: CPR and absence of impediment;
I sign a temporary employment contract for the entire duration of the program;
I participate in the information meeting on administrative process (by invitation);
I sign the contract respecting the conditions of participation sent by the Early Childhood Work-Study Program by email, and I provide all the documents required to complete my employer file.

Classes start March 16, 2026, in CEGEPs.

Step 1 - From now on

From now on, I update my information

I register my environment on the early childhood work-study portal

I connect to my Employer Space to update all the information in my workspace.

Tip: neat logos, photos and descriptions catch the eye of candidates.

Step 2 I From November 24, 2025, to January 18, 2026

Registration forms are open: I register my candidates!

I validate my internal candidates' desire to participate in the Work-Study Program
From my Employer Space, I register my internal candidates. I need their contact information, their latest level of education, their date of birth and their permanent code.
I sign and enclose the employment certificate*.

*The employment certificate template is available in the Employer Kit.

Step 3 I January 19 and 20, 2026

I finalize my recruitment

From my Employer space (My applications), I check that everything is in order.

I must:

Indicate the appropriate status for each application received

AND

Submit the nominative and signed promise of employment* for the selected applications

And after that?

As of September 22nd, 2025, only applications with the status "Retained for submission to CEGEP" and a nominative and signed promise of employment are sent to the CEGEP for study of their admission
Until October 10th, 2025, the CEGEP contacts my selected candidates directly to finalize admission and registration for the program

*The employment certificate template is available in the Employer Kit.

Step 4 I From March 11 to March 13, 2026

I formalize my participation

Once my candidates have been admitted to the program by a CEGEP,

I make sure that the person has the prerequisites to work in early childhood: CPR and absence of impediment;
I sign a temporary employment contract for the entire duration of the program;
I participate in the information meeting on administrative process (by invitation);
I sign the contract respecting the conditions of participation sent by the Early Childhood Work-Study Program, and I provide all the documents required to complete my employer file.

Classes start March 16, 2026, in CEGEPs.

Ready to participate as an employer?

Start with step 1! Register your educational childcare service on the portal to benefit from our support: posting of job offers, selection and registration of candidates and bank of spontaneous candidates all year long!

Do you have any questions?

You'll likely find an answer in our frequently asked questions.

Consult our FAQ

Would you like to contact us?

Contact the Work-Study Program's team!

Contact

Subscribe
so you don't miss a thing!

Subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed of the news and the process to follow for the Work-Study Program and the RAC96 in early childhood.

Email Address

I am

Work-Study Program

RAC96