Grooming Talents into Leaders at Skool4Kidz

When it comes to early childhood education in Singapore, parents are willing to fork out any expense to ensure that their little ones get the best head start in life—and for a good reason. Research has shown that early childhood education provides a foundation for developing skills that will be useful later in life such as numeracy, language, socio-emotional, and executive functioning skills. In Singapore, preschools and early childhood education centres have this down to an art, coming up with robust curriculums that not only aim to develop children’s learning abilities for school but also their social skills and extracurricular abilities while also nurturing a healthy wonder for the world around them.

Learning can be fun as well as practical, as one preschool in Singapore shows its students and their parents alike. Skool4Kidz encourages preschoolers to develop critical 21st century life skills through play and interaction with technology. Through programmes developed by pedagogical experts, young children build computation thinking, active problem-solving, social interaction, and the confidence to be creative.

The curriculum at Skool4Kidz is taught by a team of carefully recruited educators, all of whom undergo mandatory training and upgrading before working with preschoolers. 

How does your company help employees progress their careers?

We support our employees in advancing their careers both vertically and laterally. Selected individuals can participate in our High Potential (Hi-Po) Program or transition laterally between departments, which are divided into Curriculum, Program & Professional Development, Learning Support/Early Intervention, Quality Assurance, etc.

Skool4Kidz also provides further support to their educators and staff with programmes to further help them develop their careers according to their desires.

Can you tell us about the High Potential Talent Grooming programme and any other training programmes you have in place to help employees grow?

Our Hi-Po Program features a structured and systematic framework to nurture the development of our talents, including Leaders and Deep Professionals. The framework serves two main purposes: building professional expertise and cultivating a leadership pipeline.

Those who have consistently outperformed their peers, and are willing to go the extra mile, are given the opportunity to advance further through the Skool4Kidz Leadership Development Programme. This programme identifies aspiring employees to hold successive leadership positions in the organisation and prepares them to assume leadership positions within the organisation.

Additionally, all Skool4Kidz infant and preschool educators are life-long learners who attend continuing professional development programmes each year. Each staff has a tailor-made Individual Professional Development Plan to groom them towards their desired career progression, which ensures that they can more effectively nurture and transform the lives of the young children in our care.

Skool4Kidz has been working with Workforce Singapore (WSG)'s Careers Conversion Programme (CPC) to attract mid-career switchers. How has your company helped mid-career switches to transition from their previous occupation to their current role?

We've assisted numerous individuals with the strong desire to switch to the early childhood education industry. Our nurturing environment, combined with regular coaching and professional training, facilitates a gradual transition into their roles, ensuring successful assimilation.

One such individual who made a mid-career switch is Teacher Rayne, a Beginning Preschool Educator at Skool4Kidz Preschool @ Punggol Waterway Cascadia. She joined the early childhood education industry in 2019 after transitioning from a marketing role in the cosmetics industry. She recounts one memorable experience that validated her decision, “When I watched the Kindergarten children’s performance and joy at the graduation concert, I realised that my hard work over the years had paid off. That's when I recognised that joining the early childhood education sector was the right decision.”

Another mid-career switcher is Teacher Angeline, an Infant Educator at Skool4Kidz Preschool @ Bedok Ping Yi Greens. Reflecting on her decision to join the early childhood education industry, she shares: 

“After making the switch to become an Infant Educator, I look forward to going to work daily as I know I am making a difference in the children’s lives. The early childhood education sector also offers job stability and an array of career opportunities given the constant demands for preschool educators.”

What benefits does your company have in place to support teachers' working hours?

We offer rotating shift hours, as well as part-time and relief pool arrangements.

As a company, what do you look for in an employee?

At Skool4Kidz, we seek individuals with a passion for empowering young minds, instilling moral values, and building strength and confidence in the achievers of tomorrow. We are always on the lookout for aspiring individuals who want to play a part in shaping the next generation. We welcome those with a strong passion and a positive attitude to join us!