Preschool education has good employment prospects

Preschool education has good employment prospects

my country’s current higher education has historically entered the internationally recognized stage of popular education. However, while higher education is becoming popular, it has become difficult for college students to find jobs. It has become an indisputable fact, especially when the global economic crisis swept across the world in 2008 and 2009. The once proud students have entered an embarrassing situation: graduating college students is equivalent to unemployment. The main manifestations are: first, the employment situation itself is very severe, which is an unavoidable fact brought about by the expansion of university enrollment; secondly, the demand for good jobs is limited; thirdly, the students trained by the university itself are not all professional talents. Focusing on quality education, there is still a certain disconnect between school training and social needs. In addition to a certain professional level, employers also require students to have strong public relations skills, cooperation skills, practical skills, organizational coordination skills, and professional application skills. However, in fact, students are still lacking in the training of these aspects. Therefore, this situation of difficulty in finding employment for college students will continue to exist for a long time.

It is worth noting that in today's changing job market for college students, graduates of preschool education majors in higher vocational colleges seem to be "hot commodities", and the job market also seems to be relatively loose. . The internship placement rate of 06-level preschool education graduates from our college reached 100% within one month, and the employment contract signing rate has reached 50% so far. Once the graduation certificate is issued as scheduled, the student signing rate will reach 100%. But how long can this situation last? In fact, the situation is not optimistic. As educators in higher vocational colleges, they must rationally analyze the current employment situation and have a clear understanding of the employment prospects of graduates majoring in preschool education in higher vocational colleges, so as to provide targeted and systematic employment guidance.

Taken together, the employment situation of preschool education professionals seems to be rising but actually falling under the impact of the global economic crisis. The reasons can be summarized as follows:

1. The market for early education The potential has expanded the demand for early childhood education professionals.

1. The government’s policy guidance has stimulated social enthusiasm for running schools and fully satisfied families’ growing demand for early education.

The Ministry of Education's "Guiding Opinions on the Reform and Development of Early Childhood Education" clearly states: "The overall goal of early childhood education reform in the next five years (2013-2014) is to form a public kindergarten as the backbone and demonstration, with Social forces set up kindergartens as the main body, a development pattern that combines public and private, formal and non-formal education. "With the advancement of society, economic development, increase in family income, and improvement of personal quality, people have increasingly strong expectations for high-level education. The increasing economic affordability has formed the social foundation for private preschool education. Private early childhood education is booming. Under the coexistence of multiple kindergarten systems, it has greatly satisfied the needs of parents for early education.

2. The number of graduates majoring in preschool education cannot fully meet social needs, and there is a lack of professional teachers with high academic qualifications and comprehensive qualities that society increasingly needs.

As we all know, early childhood teachers are a professional profession. It is a "public business that requires teachers to acquire and maintain professional knowledge and expertise through rigorous and continuous research." (UNESCO Recommendations on the Status of Teachers). In our country, the learning of such professional knowledge and skills is carried out through pre-service training. The preschool education major in colleges and universities plays a main role in the training of preschool teachers. Although in recent years, some colleges and universities across the country have added preschool education Professionally train preschool teachers, but there is still a contradiction in demand between the rapid growth in the number of private and private kindergartens, and it still cannot meet the needs of the entire society. For example: Hubei Daily reported on March 17, 2014, titled "Preschool Education" There is a piece of news that students from colleges and technical secondary schools have become popular. The employment rate of preschool education departments is close to 100% every year. Last year, there was a situation where supply exceeded demand; students from big cities such as Hunan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou all had varying degrees of success. The above-mentioned situation has also occurred in China. The phenomenon of graduates from preschool teacher training schools being in short supply is common.

It is worth noting that while the society’s demand for early childhood teachers is increasing, it is also gradually putting forward higher requirements for the overall quality of early childhood teachers. After research, we learned that kindergartens are eager to “love early childhood education” , Preschool education graduates with higher academic qualifications, certain teaching reform and scientific research capabilities, new early childhood education concepts, solid basic teaching skills, comprehensive skills, good attitude, and willingness to work in the kindergarten for a long time” fully illustrates the society’s expectations for those with undergraduate and junior college degrees. There is a strong demand for high-quality early childhood teachers, and the early childhood education market has broad prospects.

2. In the short term, when the demand for graduates of higher vocational preschool education exceeds supply, we must have a "consciousness of concern" about employment prospects.

1. The academic level of graduates majoring in preschool education in higher vocational colleges has shown a trend of "rising tide lifts all boats".

According to reports: As colleges and universities have increased their academic requirements, Shanghai’s educational requirements for preschool teachers have also begun to “rise.” Since 2014, most kindergartens have targeted undergraduates for recruitment. . At the same time, the Wuhan Municipal Education Bureau [2014] No. 6 "Wuhan Municipal Kindergarten Grade Evaluation Standard" also stipulates the identification of teacher qualifications: "should have a kindergarten teacher qualification certificate and a college degree or above in education."

The increase in the threshold for early childhood education reflects, to a certain extent, the entire society’s demand for high-quality, highly educated preschool teachers; on the other hand, kindergartens also hope to enhance their market competitiveness by raising academic levels.

2. The social demand for higher vocational preschool education graduates has gradually transitioned from quantity supplement to quality competition.

Due to the general optimism about the early childhood education market, preschool education in normal colleges is constantly expanding its enrollment, and non-normal colleges and universities such as higher vocational colleges are also adding preschool education majors. Preschool education graduates will increase year by year, and the number of preschool teacher qualifications will increase year by year. The replenishment of quantity will be completed within a certain period of time; when the quantity reaches saturation, fierce quality competition will follow, and the general trend of employers selecting the best from the best will become increasingly obvious. Quality is the lifeline of graduates' employment. The training model focusing on all-round professional talents is an effective way to adapt to the increasingly fierce market competition.

After the above analysis, it is not difficult to see that potential crises in the early childhood education job market exist. Is there any way to avoid it? How to avoid it?

1. Continuously improve the quality of regular school running, Efforts should be made to strengthen the professional abilities and skills training of students majoring in preschool education in higher vocational colleges. At the same time, it is key to improve the comprehensive employability of students in higher vocational colleges.

As we all know, quality is the core element to enhance market competitiveness. The quality of schooling determines the quality of employment. Whether it matches the social employment needs, we must start from the fundamentals: the basic skills of playing, singing, talking and dancing, basic early childhood education theory and The level of practical operation ability is the basis for improving quality. We must focus on quality in daily classroom teaching, grasp it firmly, grasp it solidly, and grasp it accurately. Three feet of ice does not freeze in one day.

Pay attention to the management of daily teaching processes, carefully design systematic courses, carefully select teaching books, carefully teach each class, and carefully create quality courses. We require quality from classroom teaching and characteristics from daily management.

At present, in addition to the conventional playing, playing, singing and dancing, it is also necessary to examine the comprehensive quality of graduates and their mastery and application of cutting-edge industry capabilities: such as early childhood education, Montessori education, etc., all of which are very important for high school students in school. Vocational students have posed higher challenges. If we only see the current employment situation as relatively stable and do not think about forward-looking development, then graduates of our major will definitely be involved in the next wave of high unemployment. . Therefore, as educators in higher vocational colleges, they should be prepared for danger in times of peace, face the current situation rationally, adjust education and teaching ideas in a timely manner, and guide students to make career plans as early as possible. At the same time, they should develop themselves in an all-round, professional and high-quality way to cope with the market. We must prepare for changes in the future, develop ourselves ahead of market development, and actively respond to market choices.

2. Conduct in-depth research on the development status of early childhood education, and use the most realistic and cutting-edge teaching practices to guide students’ employment.

Today, with the rapid development of early childhood education, early childhood education has received more and more attention and attention from more and more people. The overall quality and academic level of the preschool teachers have been continuously improved. The employment scope of preschool education students has expanded unprecedentedly and is diversified. development direction.

Facing the new trend of early childhood education reform and development, it is necessary to update the concept of employment. Graduates of preschool education majors no longer just work as teachers in kindergartens, but gradually lock in multiple positions such as childcare workers (teacher assistants) in the early childhood education major. The purpose of graduates is to reflect the specialization, formalization, diversification and marginalization of early childhood education and improve the overall level of early childhood education. Graduates with academic qualifications in early childhood education are a powerful new force that improves the overall quality of the entire team. They are the best teachers for community early childhood education personnel, parent-child kindergarten teachers, special education teachers, full-time and part-time early childhood education training teachers (English, sensory integration training, etc.) There is huge potential in market demand. As higher vocational educators, we should guide students to accurately position themselves for employment based on social needs and their own foundations. In addition, diversified job markets such as administrative management and training consultation of various preschool education institutions, R&D and marketing of preschool products, and one-on-one home services for external parties provide more cutting-edge and diverse opportunities for students majoring in preschool education. market requirements. In this regard, in the teaching process, higher vocational colleges should promptly introduce and implement the advanced concepts of the industry, hire industry experts to enter the classroom regularly, and at the same time, dare to push a large number of students to the industry from time to time for practical training practice, so that Through bold introduction and sending methods, the modern demand links of traditional majors are activated. In the process of teaching and learning, all employees establish the following educational concepts: "Hand in hand, let go of hand, cultivate skillful hands, and use both hands and brain; Learn by doing, learn by doing, and combine work with learning. "In order to integrate into the society, go out to serve the society." Pay attention to the education of professional ethics and the improvement of professional skills, and carry out education and teaching work in an all-round and multi-level manner. To integrate teaching, industry and academia, school and enterprise, socialize education, and professionalize classrooms to avoid the embarrassment of disconnection between school and society, enable students to integrate and adapt to society as early as possible, and form a virtuous cycle in which education, teaching and social development are harmonious and synchronized. .

3. Moderately control the enrollment scale, reasonably predict the job market, develop quality majors, cultivate high-quality talents, and enhance the comprehensive market competitiveness of higher vocational preschool education graduates.

In the process of the early childhood education market demand changing from quantity supplement to quality competition, the comprehensive ability and comprehensive quality of graduates are the key to enhancing market employment competitiveness. At the same time, according to the development trend of early childhood education, having Various vocational qualification certificates, arts and sports, English, computer level certificates and higher education certificates are also necessary. As the saying goes: What you don't have, I have, what you have, I have excellence, you have excellence, I have special features, which fully illustrates that higher vocational colleges should rationally analyze the early childhood education job market, predict ahead of time, and make accurate judgments in order to firmly seize the job market. Educators in higher vocational colleges should provide systematic career planning guidance and education to preschool education students as early as possible, and encourage students to obtain relevant professional qualification certificates or industry qualification certificates as early as possible, such as: nanny, nutrition and health care practitioner, preschool teacher , preschool dance teacher, preschool English teacher, marketer, human resources manager, IELTS level examination, Montessori education teacher, early education development teacher and other related certificates, laying a solid foundation for all-round, high-level and multi-channel employment of preschool education students. A solid foundation.