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Employment
Classroom and Community Support is an expanding profession with an extremely high demand. The community living field employs the greatest number of social/human service practitioners in BC. Special education assistants are a critical component of education programs in all private and public school districts. Supported Employment specialists positions are exploding.
Classroom and Community Support graduates are in high demand with many options.
- early intervention programs
- private and public schools
- post-secondary institutions
- community agencies and family homes
- supported employment agencies
- experienced grads work in supervisory positions in community agencies
Graduates work in a variety of titles including:
- special education assistant
- community support worker
- job coach
- instructional facilitator
- supported employment facilitator
- life skills coach
- youth worker
- respite worker
Salaries
Salaries vary depending on the setting and level of position but range from $15 to $35 per hour.
High demand
95 percent of Classroom and Community Support graduates find work within two months of graduation.
Partnerships with employers
Programs in Douglas College's Faculty of Child Family and Community Studies are frequently used as the benchmark in program quality. Some employers will only hire our graduates.
The Classroom and Community Support Department is the educational a partner in a summer employment initiative. Since 2005 we have partnered with a growing group of Behaviour Intervention agencies, community living agencies, and school districts who join together to present summer job opportunities to students.
The program has an active community advisory committee with representatives from school districts, community living and supported employment agencies, families and graduates. Curriculum changes are always made in consultation with our graduates and field employers. This enables us to provide students with a current and relevant educational experience.
The Collaborative Outreach Project is our newest initiative. It involves taking a specifically designed sections of our program out to partnering agencies or school districts for weekly learning seminars with under-credentialed practitioners.
Focus on qualifications
Higher standards of employment are becoming a reality for the field of Classroom and Community Support. After years of rapid expansion and wide-open hiring, the Early Intervention and Supported Employment fields are now focusing on the qualifications of its employees.
