Early Childhood Courses for Preschool Teaching

Make a Difference in Little Lives!

Join us in our upcoming Course & Career Fair on 27 April 2024 (Sat) to find out more!

Thinking of making a switch into a meaningful career working with young children? Help our earliest learners discover the wonders of the world by becoming a preschool teacher! Early childhood (EC) educators are in the privileged position to be one of the children’s first teachers. You’ll get to impart life skills and values to young children, helping them lay a strong foundation in learning!

You will work in an EC development centre, which can be a childcare centre or a kindergarten. Both offer programmes tailored to the needs of children up till the age of 6 years old.

Downloads

Learn all you need to know about being an EC educator!

Get your copy of the Starter Ki(d), a handy A-Z guide on EC training for mid-career switchers.

More Reasons to Join the Sector

Growing Demand for Preschool Educators

There are 180,000 preschool places for children currently, and there will be 40,000 more by 2023.

Great Career Progression

With the right qualifications and competencies, you can progress in your career to be in leadership positions. Learn more here.

Support from the Government

The Singapore Government is committed to spending more than $2 billion a year to support the sector!

What It Takes to Be an EC Educator

Qualities for a good fit

PASSION to give every child a good start
LOVE of interacting with children
ENTHUSIASM to learn and work well in teams
CARE for others, have good values & social skills

A big heart to shape little minds
As an EC educator, you play a key role in caring for the little ones and helping them grow! You should always maintain professionalism in your work and act in the best interests of the children and their families.

What Courses Can You Take?

You do not need prior experience to start your training! You would only need to meet the minimum entry requirements of the courses you are applying for.

For those who have completed Sec 4 education

For those with 3 O-level credits

Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education (ACECCE)

For those with 5 O-level credits

For those with a degree or local poly diploma

Note: For detailed entry requirements, please visit the respective course pages above.

*The day intakes of these courses are eligible for the Career Conversion Programme. For details, visit the course pages above or contact us.

Watch what our students go through in the video above!
Find out more about the NIEC student experience.

How to Apply for Our Courses

Step 1: Ensure you have met the entry requirements and possess the relevant qualifications and work experience for the course.

Step 2: Ready to apply? Click "Apply Now" on the respective course pages.

Step 3: If your application is successful, you will receive an email with instructions on how to accept the offer.

You may qualify for certain financial schemes for course fee payment, e.g. SkillsFuture Credit, MOE Bursary.

Other ways to apply

1. Enjoy full course fee sponsorship by your employer for your EC training under the Career Conversion Programme (CCP)!

The day intakes of selected courses are eligible for Workforce Singapore’s CCP, where your employer may sponsor your training at NIEC and provide a monthly salary during your course. Here’s how it works:

Secure sponsorship by an early childhood development centre (ECDC) licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Visit the ECDA website for job portals and contact the centres directly for CCP opportunities. You may need to fulfil a bond to work with your employer.
Apply for our courses within 6 months of being hired. Upon successful enrolment, you will start your training at NIEC while working at the centre.
Enjoy full course sponsorship and a monthly work salary, provided by your employer!

The CCP is open to all company-sponsored applicants who:

Are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents aged 21 years and above;
Graduated or completed National Service, whichever is later, at least 2 years at the point of application;
Are newly-hired by participating ECDA-licensed ECDCs;
Are not in the same job role prior to joining the CCP.

To be eligible, you must be employed as a trainee teacher for no longer than 6 months from the course application date. Other terms and conditions apply.

Learn more:

2. Apply via the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) for Working Adults to enjoy a holistic poly/ITE experience.

The EAE is only applicable for these full-time courses:

The EAE for Working Adults is open to Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents only with at least 2 years of relevant work experience. For more information, visit the EAE website.

When to apply:

ITE-EAE - Application for entry to AY 2024: TBA
Poly EAE - Application for entry to AY 2024: TBA

Mid-Careerists