1. Child Development Worker Certification for Immigrant Women
Annual AAISA Summit
Innovative Practices in Settlement and Integration
Child Development Worker Certification for Immigrant Women
Presented by: Jyoti Agnihotri
Career Services Department Interim Manager
September 21, 2018

2. OUR MANDATE VISION: Empower Immigrant Women. Enrich Canadian Society.
MISSION: To engage and integrate all immigrant women and their families in the community.
VALUES: Integrity. Equity. Inclusiveness. Innovation. Leadership.

3. To enroll clients must have: Permanent Residency status
Program Description
Child Development Worker Training assists immigrant women to complete a 12-month academic Early Learning and Child Care course and obtain Child Development Worker certificate through customized individual and group support.
To enroll clients must have:
Permanent Residency status
CLB 7 or higher
Child Development Assistant certificate
Professional experience in child care (home country and/or Canada)

4. Selective approach by governing bodies
Gaps
Gaps that prevent highly educated immigrant women in growing their careers and achieving economic prosperity:
Selective approach by governing bodies
Inflexibility in credential and skill recognition
Inequitable and unrealistic English language requirements
Discrepancy in skills required for child care certification and the workplace

5. Gap #1 Selective approach by governing bodies
Canadian experience and education given advantage over non-Canadian one
Gap #2 Inflexibility in credential and skill recognition
No provincial program available to asses prior learning and relevant working experience
Gap #3 Inequitable and unrealistic English language requirements
Knowledge of academic English language prerequisite to enroll in the ELCC program (CLB 8)
Gap #4 Discrepancy in skills required for child care certification and the workplace
Demands that immigrant women need to overcome to obtain Child Development Worker certificate do not match typical job duties and wage they ultimately earn

6. Innovative Practices to Address the Gaps
Customized and emergent curriculum created to meet client learning needs
Two months of preparatory classes to meet clients’ learning needs by enhancing their essential skills and English language proficiency
Ongoing individual study support for each client throughout the program

7. 2. Collaboration with client’s employers
Innovative Practices to Address the Gaps
2. Collaboration with client’s employers
Daycare employers suggested training schedule and adjusted work hours for clients to enable them to attend classes

8. Innovative Practices to Address the Gaps
3. Online study group
Program team created an online group to enable clients continuous communication and exchange of study materials

9. FUNDED BY

10. Thank you!
Contact Information:
Jyoti Agnihotri
Career Services Department Interim Manager
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
First Street Plaza – Suite 200, Ave SE
Calgary, Alberta T2G 4Z6
Tel: (403)
Fax: (403)