Three Careers with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education

G3 ECE Blog 1.20

Despite popular belief, your Early Childhood Education (ECE) degree can take you beyond traditional career paths. ECE classes equip students with a unique set of skills that can support them in a variety of different industries – even outside of the conventional environment if you so choose. 

Thinking about pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education? Keep reading to learn about three careers you can add to your professional vision board!  

Calling all entrepreneurs  

Does the idea of starting a business and being your own boss excite you? Home-based service experts provide childcare from the comfort of their own home while establishing and managing their own business from start to finish. From marketing your business and planning educational activities to cultivating a safe, inclusive environment for the children in your care, you get to decide it all. 

If you are curious about being a home-based childcare provider and would like to know what steps and regulations you need to follow, visit, wonderschool.com and read Virginia’s Department of Education’s guidance.

Travel the world 

Have you ever dreamt of traveling the world, learning a foreign language or being immersed in a vibrant new culture? Becoming an au pair may be your calling. An au pair is a young adult between the ages of 18-26, who lives with a host family on a legal visa for up to two years in exchange for a weekly stipend, room and board and an opportunity to become part of the family. 

Although becoming an au pair doesn’t require a degree, having experience with children and deep knowledge of their developmental processes can help your resume rise to the top during the application process. As we enter another year of navigating and learning to live in a pandemic, more families are transitioning to homeschooling and are in need of qualified, knowledgeable experts to care for and educate their children.

To learn more about becoming an au pair, visit  goaupair.com

Childcare director  

For individuals looking to stay close to the classroom setting without having to teach, becoming a childcare director is a great avenue. Childcare directors oversee and manage all day-to-day responsibilities within the childcare facility. These individuals perform admin duties that help daily operations run smoothly and collaborate with teachers and other staff members to implement educational policies, safety procedures and parent communication. 

As you can see, there are numerous life paths that the ECE industry can lead you down. All you have to do is look! Chances are there is a perfect ECE career waiting for you.

Sound like something you’d like to pursue? Learn more about G3 funding and what options are available where you live. Visit Learn how to Qualify and Programs for more information.