SD73 will launch in-house training to bolster ranks of certified education assistants

SD73 to train its own CEAs

Photo: Castanet

FILE - The Kamloops-Thompson School District logo at its 9th Ave. school board office.

The Kamloops-Thompson School District will be launching a pilot in-house training program next year, as it looks to improve hiring and retention of certified education assistants.

SD73 said the seven-month, part-time program will focus on the specific needs within the district, and will qualify graduates to work in local K-12 schools as CEAs starting next September.

Dawn Armstrong, president of CUPE 3500, which represents school support workers, said the union is pleased with the new program.

“It's going to mean that we have a healthy relief roster, and our current members, our current CEAs, aren't burning out in such high rates due to heavy workload,” Armstrong told Castanet Kamloops.

Earlier this year, SD73 planned to hire “responsible adults” to cover CEA absences, which it hoped would turn into a pipeline for new CEAs. At the time, it said about 30 to 40 per cent of CEA roles went unfilled in a day due to sick time or approved leave.

The plan was shelved after CUPE 3500 called the plan “an attack” on qualified workers and a threat to quality student supports. SD73 met with CUPE and said there were misunderstandings about the plan.

A committee was then struck to identify barriers blocking CEA recruitment and retention, and SD73 said it would revisit its responsible adult plan. The new in-house training program was developed with input and support from that committee.

“It will result in a certification, and it’s not just like the responsible adults where it was going to be a 20-hour course that costs you less than $100 — it’s much, much different,” Armstrong said.

“It’s obviously a lot more rigorous, it’s going to contain things that are directly relevant to working in classrooms and working with children with exceptional needs.”

More work to do

Armstrong said the new program is the “first step” in resolving a number of issues that have lead to issues in hiring and retaining CEAs, including around safety and income.

She said the committee would continue to work on finding solutions to those problems.

“Thrilled with the work that our CEA committee has done with the district, and we are looking forward to finding more solutions to the issues that we face and just addressing these issues so they just don't exist anymore, or at least they're just a lot less common,” she said.

Relief costs have grown significantly in SD73, about doubling over the last five years. Armstrong said the pilot will mean a healthier relief roster, which will translate to better long-term attendance and fewer absences.

In May, the SD73 board sent letters to five local MLAs and the B.C. School Trustees Association, asking for their support in advocating provincially for higher CEA wages, longer allowable working hours, and for more CEAs in schools.

SD73 board chair Heather Grieve said CEAs are essential in creating safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environments for students in schools.

“The board of education is proud to support the launch of an in-house CEA training program, ensuring future CEAs have accessible opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills required to thrive in these vital roles,” Grieve said.

“They provide the individualized support students need to succeed and foster strong relationships that build a culture of belonging.”

The certification program will be instructed in-person and virtually in SD73 facilities in Kamloops on weekday evenings and Saturdays. Graduates will be qualified to work as bus supervisors, and behaviour, personal care, and district resource room CEAs.

SD73 said it is now gathering prospective enrolment data to plan for the delivery of the pilot. Current CEA pay rates range from $29.72 to $31.74 an hour.