Educational Assistant

How do I apply for Educational Assistant positions?
You are required to submit an on-line application at no charge to you. Applications may be found on our website under careers, and then opportunities at our board. The Educational Assistant (casual and permanent) applications will be available under the “Other” heading when we are accepting applications. The York Region District School Board does not accept paper applications, fax transmissions or e-mailed applications. Applications e-mailed, faxed or given directly to Hiring Managers will not be accepted nor acknowledged.

What are the education requirements for the Educational Assistant positions?
The title Educational Assistant is a broad classification used to represent a series of jobs including Assistant for the Developmentally Handicapped (ADH), Special Education Assistant, Child and Youth Worker (CYW), Health Assistant, etc.

Each classification has different qualification/educational requirements:

Assistant for the Developmentally Handicapped (ADH)

• Secondary School Graduation Diploma with a recognized diploma (2 years) in one of the following:
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Developmental Services Worker
  • Social Services Worker
• Minimum one year experience is required.
• Training in de-escalation strategies (possibly CPI certification), lifting and positioning techniques are requirements of this position.
• Effective verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required. A general working knowledge of computers and Board approved/implemented software is required.

• Secondary School Graduation Diploma is required (or equivalency)
• Minimum six months experience is required.
• Training in de-escalation strategies (possibly CPI certification), lifting and positioning techniques are requirements of this position.
• Effective verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required. A general working knowledge of computers and Board approved/implemented software is required.

• Secondary School Graduation Diploma with a recognized diploma (3 years) in one of the following:
  • Child and Youth Worker
  • Child Care Worker
  • Social Service Worker
• Minimum one year experience is required.
• Training in de-escalation strategies (possibly CPI certification), lifting and positioning techniques are requirements of this position.
• Effective verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required. A general working knowledge of computers and Board approved/implemented software is required.

• Secondary School Graduation Diploma with a recognized Registered Practical Nurses’ Diploma (2 years) is required
• Minimum one year experience is required
• Effective verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required. A general working knowledge of computers and Board approved software is required.

Who should I address my cover letter to?
Cover letters should be addressed to Hiring Committee, Human Resource Services, York Region District School Board.

How many references do I need?
You are required to submit the names of 3 professional business references including their current address, telephone number, e-mail address and position title. Also, please ensure that one of your references is your most current employer, if applicable.

What two attachments should I include as part of my online application?
Applicants may include any documents you feel would be relevant to your application or the position you are applying for. Common attachments include formatted versions of the cover letter and résumé, and reference letters. Only files with the following extensions are accepted and accessible by the York Region District School Board: jpg, rtf, doc, gif, jpeg, pdf, txt, zip, wpd, wpe.

What does the “SKILLS” section on the application mean?
The “SKILLS” section is the area for you to tell us about your additional skills or qualifications that may not have been identified in the application’s screening questions. It also gives you the ability to rate yourself on those skills/qualifications.

I submitted my application, how do I know if it went through?
When you submit your application, an acknowledgement message will be sent to your e-mail account indicating that we have received your application.

Should I send in hard copies?
No. We do not accept hard copies of any documentation sent via fax/e-mail/mail as you must submit an online application. Please note that copies of letters of reference, transcripts, diplomas, résumés and evaluations may be provided at the time of interview or provided as attachments in the online application.

I applied on-line last year. Do I have to re-apply every year?
Yes. Each year is a new hiring year and all applicants will need to re-apply as your application will expire at the end of each school year.

What do I do if I need to make changes to my on-line application?
Please e-mail Recruitment and Retention Services at careers@yrdsb.edu.on.ca and request a link(s) to your application(s).

How do I add/delete attachments?
You first need to request a link to access your application, and then when you open up the link, you will be on page 1 of your application. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and type in a reason for updating your application, click update and you will be directed to the next page where you may add/delete attachments as needed.

My diploma(s) are outside of Canada, what should I do?
You will need to have your education evaluated in Canada. You may contact the World Education Services at 416-972-0070 (www.wes.org/ca) or the University of Toronto Comparative Education Service at 416-978-2400 (http://learn.utoronto.ca/ces.htm) or International Credential Assessment Service of Canada at 519-763-7282 (www.icascanada.ca).

Are we paid for the mandatory two day training?
No, you do not get paid for the mandatory two day training.

I was not successful in the interview; could you please tell me why?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications received we are not able to provide feedback to any candidates. We thank all candidates for their interest in the York Region District School Board and encourage you to apply again next school year.

I am a casual Educational Assistant, how do I become permanent?
As a casual Educational Assistant, you do not have access to the Board Wide Web (BWW) where all internal positions are posted. If no one applies to an internal position, then the Board would look at a list of all those casual employees who are interested in full-time permanent positions and could ask you to attend an interview for a certain position.