A paid training program that alternates work and study each week.
Ready to start the program?
Start with step 1! Apply now for job offers posted by employers in your area.
See job offersWork-Study Program
The program for candidates
A recognized course to start, train and obtain a diploma !
Whether or not you already work in a childcare service, whether you are in professional retraining, or that you are simply seeking your own path... The Early Childhood Work-Study Program is for you!
This program is offered throughout Quebec in many CEGEPs! It allows you to acquire all the competencies required to become an early childhood educator, while working!
How does it work?
For 18 months, you study part-time each week at CEGEP to obtain your Attestation of collegial studies: AEC - Early Childhood Care and Education.
When you don't have classes, you work in a CPE or an educational childhood services to perfect your practice and validate AEC in ECCE competencies (10 to 20 hours per week).
The best part? Your employer pays you for your working hours AND your class hours! They then receive financial compensation to finance your salary when you are in class.
A 3-step course, adapted to the needs of educational childhood services:
- 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 Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) at the end of the course (32 hours) to validate the last 3 competencies of the AEC, acquired while working*
At the very end, graduates 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.
Depending on the CEGEP you choose, you can study in-class, online or in a hybrid mode.
Recruitment of Winter 2027 starts on November 16!
Admission requirements
To be eligible for the work-study program, you must:
- Work in a CPE or an educational daycare registered on our portal. Don't worry! If you are not already employed, we can help you to find an employer.
- Be 18 or older when you register for the program
- Hold Canadian citizenship or a valid Canadian permanent residence status;
- Have obtained your High school diploma or, under certain conditions, secondary 4 or 5 credits (or the equivalent outside Quebec.
Upon hiring, your employer will request a criminal background check from the police (proof of absence of impediment) and proof of successful completion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses.
These documents are mandatory for all people working with children in Quebec.
Find your employer now!
Do you meet all of the admission requirements above but the recruitment is over or has not yet started?
Job offers will be posted on November 16! In the meantime, you can already start your search and find your future employer!
Submit your resume and cover letter to our spontaneous applications bank at any time to find an employer. All educational childcare services registered on our portal have access to it!
Pass selection interviews and start working before the start of the program
Your employer will submit your application to the program during when recruitment opens, directly in their Employer Space!
My steps of participation in the Parcours
Next cohort: Winter 2027
Step 1 I From November 23, to January 17, 2027
Application
From November 23, I apply to job offers posted on the recruitment portal, by employers in my region.
Deadline: January 17, 2027
Step 2 I From November 23, to January 17, 2027
Selection
- I pass selection interviews with employers
- If my application is accepted, I sign the promise of employment that my employer will attach to my online application file.
Please note that step 2 does not constitute confirmation of admission to the Program.
Step 3 I From February 1 to February 19
Registration
Once step 2 is completed, my online file is ready. It will be sent directly to the CEGEP of my choice on February 1, 2027 ;
From February 1 to February 19, 2027 : the CEGEP contacts me to compile my admission file and validate my registration. I must provide the required documents and pay the related fees ($200 maximum per session);
Classes begin March 15, 2027.
Step 1 I From November 23, to January 17, 2027
I talk to my employer
To register for the Course, my employer must:
Understand the implications and investments required by employers
Register their workplace on the early childhood work-study portal
Complete my registration request from his Employer space (internal application)
Produce and sign my certificate of employment and attach it to my application
If the employer needs information and documentation, the Work-Study Program team is there to support him in his efforts. They can contact us.
Deadline: January 17, 2027
Step 2 I From February 1 to February 19
Registration
Once step 1 is completed, my online file is ready. It will be sent directly to the CEGEP of my choice on February 1, 2027 ;
From February 1 to February 19, 2027 : the CEGEP contacts me to compile my admission file and validate my registration. I must provide the required documents and pay the related fees ($200 maximum per session);
Classes begin March 15, 2027.
Which CEGEP offers the Program near you?
Find out the CEGEPs that offer the Program to the next semester
Do you have any questions?
You'll likely find an answer in our frequently asked questions. Take time to visit it!
