How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Nunavut
Nunavut has no ECE certification levels: licensed centre staff must meet Child Day Care Act requirements, and training runs through Nunavut Arctic College.
How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in the Northwest Territories
Staff in licensed centre-based facilities in the Northwest Territories must be certified at Level A or Levels 1 to 4, based on education and experience.
Applies in: Northwest Territories
The short answer
If you work with children in a licensed centre-based facility in the Northwest Territories, you must be certified. The certification process is called Early Learning and Child Care Recognition of Qualifications, and it is run by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The Early Learning and Child Care Regulations, which came into force on November 14, 2024, require employees working with children in licensed centre-based facilities to be certified. There is no fee to apply, and you receive a decision within four to six weeks after submitting all required documents.
This is the Northwest Territories' own scheme. Other provinces and territories use different level names — Yukon has Levels 1, 1a, 2, 2a, and 3, Alberta has Levels 1, 2, and 3, and British Columbia runs its own ECE Registry — so do not carry another jurisdiction's levels into a Northwest Territories application.
The levels
| Level | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Level A | Unrecognized experience or education |
| Level 1 | NWT Early Childhood Essentials Course and at least one year of experience in a licensed early learning and child care facility; or a combination of extensive relevant professional learning and experience in a licensed facility, as determined by the Director of Early Learning and Child Care |
| Level 2 | One-year certificate in early childhood development from an approved institution |
| Level 3 | Two-year diploma program from an approved institution |
| Level 4 | Four-year bachelor's degree program from an approved institution |
For Levels 2, 3, and 4, the program must be from an approved institution as defined in the Student Financial Assistance Regulations, and the studies must deal primarily with issues of early childhood. The department recognizes education and experience gained in the Northwest Territories, elsewhere in Canada, and internationally.
Who can apply
Employees eligible for certification include employees working in licensed centre-based facilities with children, Northwest Territories residents, students enrolled in the Early Learning and Child Care Program at Aurora College or Collège Nordique, and non-residents who have received an offer to work in a licensed centre-based facility. Non-residents do not receive their certificates until they arrive in the Northwest Territories.
How to apply
- Read the application guidelines first. The department publishes Early Learning and Child Care Recognition of Qualifications Application Guidelines; review them before completing the form.
- Submit the form and your documents. Send the Application for New Early Childhood Educator Qualification Assessment form and supporting documentation to the department. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received and can only be assessed once all required documentation is submitted.
- There is no fee. The certification page states plainly that there is no fee to apply for certification.
- Wait four to six weeks. You receive a decision within four to six weeks after submitting all required documents.
New employees hired after November 14, 2024, must contact the department at elcc_educator_certification@gov.nt.ca to be issued a provisional certification before they start work, and must apply for and become certified before the four-month provisional period ends.
Where to study
The territory's own programs are the Early Learning and Child Care Diploma at Aurora College, a two-year program with 11 required courses representing 36 credit hours, delivered in person and by distance, and the two-year Early Childhood Education program at Collège Nordique, designed to meet the department's requirements. The Aurora College diploma leads to a diploma on successful completion of the second year. Before enrolling anywhere, confirm with the department that the program counts toward the level you are aiming for, since the level depends on the program being from an approved institution and dealing primarily with early childhood material.
The updated regulations also introduced a wage grid, which sets the minimum rate of hourly pay for centre-based employees based on the community they work in, the type of position they hold, years of experience, education, Indigenous knowledge, and Northern experience. The grid is part of the same 2024 regulatory change that made certification mandatory.
What the opened pages do not state
The certification page does not publish the wage grid's dollar figures, so this guide states no pay rate. It does not state what documents are required beyond the application form and supporting documentation, so this guide lists none. It does not state whether a criminal record check or first aid certificate is required for certification, so this guide states neither. It also does not publish renewal requirements beyond the three-year validity period, so this guide gives no renewal steps.
Related guides:
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Yukon — Yukon's five levels, from 60 hours of coursework to two years, with a 20-business-day decision.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Alberta — Alberta's Level 1, 2, and 3 certification, a different scheme from the Northwest Territories' Level A and Levels 1 to 4.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in New Brunswick — New Brunswick's training-based route, with no separate certification application.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Newfoundland and Labrador — Newfoundland and Labrador's certification levels and application route.
- How to Become an Early Childhood Educator in Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan's ECE I, II, and III levels.
Becoming a certified early childhood educator in the Northwest Territories
- Find your certification levelLevel A covers unrecognized experience or education. Levels 1 to 4 run from the NWT Early Childhood Essentials Course up to a four-year bachelor's degree.
- Complete the education for your levelLevel 2 needs a one-year certificate, Level 3 a two-year diploma, and Level 4 a four-year bachelor's degree, all in early childhood material.
- Submit your application and documentsSend the Application for New Early Childhood Educator Qualification Assessment form and your documents to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. There is no fee.
- Wait for the decisionYou receive a decision within four to six weeks after submitting all required documents.
- Receive a certificate valid for three yearsLevel A and Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 certificates are valid for three years from the date they are issued.
Questions people ask
Do I need certification to work in child care in the Northwest Territories?
Yes, if you work with children in a licensed centre-based facility. The Early Learning and Child Care Regulations, which came into force on November 14, 2024, require employees working with children in licensed centre-based facilities to be certified.
What are the certification levels in the Northwest Territories?
There are six classifications. Level A covers unrecognized experience or education. Level 1 needs the NWT Early Childhood Essentials Course and at least one year of experience in a licensed early learning and child care facility, or a combination of extensive relevant professional learning and experience as determined by the Director of Early Learning and Child Care. Level 2 needs a one-year certificate in early childhood development. Level 3 needs a two-year diploma. Level 4 needs a four-year bachelor's degree. Level 2, 3, and 4 programs must be from an approved institution and deal primarily with early childhood material.
How do I apply for certification in the Northwest Territories?
Submit the Application for New Early Childhood Educator Qualification Assessment form and your supporting documents to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Review the Early Learning and Child Care Recognition of Qualifications Application Guidelines first. There is no fee to apply, and applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
How long does the certification decision take?
You receive a decision within four to six weeks after submitting all required documents. Applications can only be assessed once all required documentation is submitted, so a missing document delays the decision.
How long is the certificate valid?
Level A, 1, 2, 3, and 4 Recognition of Qualification Certificates are valid for three years from the date they are issued. A provisional certificate is valid for four months from the date it is issued.
What is provisional certification?
Provisional certification is a temporary certification valid for four months. Employees working in licensed centre-based facilities on or before November 14, 2024, were given a provisional certification and had to apply for and become certified before the end of the four-month period. New employees hired after November 14, 2024, must contact the department to be issued a provisional certification, and must apply for and become certified before the four months end.
Sources
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Certification for centre-based employees — the Level A and Level 1 to 4 requirements, eligibility, the no-fee application, the four-to-six-week decision, the three-year certificate validity, and the four-month provisional certification.
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Early Learning and Child Care Regulations build foundation for wage grid and certification — the November 14, 2024 coming into force, the certification requirement for centre-based staff, and the wage grid.
- Aurora College, Early Learning and Child Care — the two-year diploma, 11 required courses and 36 credit hours, in-person and distance delivery.
- Collège Nordique, A promising career in early childhood education — the two-year Early Childhood Education program designed to meet the department's requirements.