May 30 2023
The Support Staff Education Committee (SSEC) has been busy working to enable training for support staff across the province. This bulletin provides an overview of the committee’s objectives, ongoing work, and upcoming plans and objectives.
SSEC is a joint committee made up of Union and BCPSEA representatives. The Committee’s mandate is to manage the distribution of education funds in support of skills development for K-12 support staff.
2019-2022 mandate
Under the 2019-2022 Provincial Framework Agreement, the Committee was tasked with managing the distribution of education funds in support of skills development for support staff, and developing training materials. The Committee allocated three million of available funds to union locals and school districts for delivering staff training.
The Committee has disbursed funds to union locals and school districts for a wide range of training from non- violent crisis intervention to IT skills enhancement. The Committee encourages union locals and school districts that have not yet accessed these funds to identify opportunities to use their allocated funds. The SSEC funds allocated to each school district, as well as the application form to access said funds per the 2019-2022 Provincial Framework Agreement are attached.
Education Assistant curriculum development
In collaboration with OpenSchoolsBC, SSEC has engaged an Education Peer Mentor and a Special Education Helping Teacher to update and create an online version of Education Assistant curriculum modules on inclusive learning and understanding behaviour. We anticipate this module will be finalized and available to districts in late fall 2023 following a short pilot process. The Committee is also identifying opportunities to develop training modules to support employee health and safety.
2022-2025 Provincial Framework Agreement mandate
The 2022-2025 Provincial Framework Agreement sees additional funds for skills development for support staff.
Funding is as follows:
July 1, 2022: $1,050,000
July 1, 2023: $1,050,000
July 1, 2024: $2,050,000
A portion of these funds will be allocated to supporting the development of training materials aligned with the Committee’s objectives.
OTHER SUPPORT STAFF UNIONS:
BCGEU Teamsters
CCNTSA USW
CMAW VSB Trades
IUOE WVMEA
The remaining funds will be available for union locals and school districts to apply for in the 2024/2025 school
year to enable the full accumulation of funds before disbursement.
The 2022-2025 Provincial Framework Agreement also tasks the Committee with additional objectives: to enable
the provision of education opportunities to enhance and support the understanding, recognition and
reconciliation process with indigenous Peoples, and opportunities to enhance and support equity, diversity and
inclusion as well as cultural safety.
The Committee looks forward to providing more updates as our work progresses.
SSEC Training Fund – District Distribution – AMENDED (Jan 2022)
