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Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants  (NOC 6472)
Southern Region
Description |  Titles |  Duties |   Related Occupations

This unit group includes workers who assist elementary and secondary school teachers and counsellors. They are employed in public and private elementary and secondary schools, special schools and treatment centres.

educational assistant, educational resources assistant, lunch room supervisor, program assistant, education, secondary school teacher's assistant, special education assistant, staff assistant, education, teacher's aide, teacher's assistant.

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Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants perform some or all of the following duties:
  • Assist students with lessons under direct supervision of classroom teacher
  • Monitor and report to classroom teacher on student progress
  • Assist in preparation of learning materials and environment
  • Accompany and supervise students during activities in school gymnasiums, laboratories, libraries, resource centres and on field trips
  • Assist special needs students, such as those with mental or physical disabilities, with mobility, communication and personal hygiene
  • Prepare classroom displays and bulletin boards
  • Operate or assist teacher in operation of projectors, tape recorders and other audio-visual equipment and office equipment such as photocopier, fax machine and computer
  • Carry out behaviour modification, personal development and other therapeutic programs under supervision of professionals such as special education instructors, psychologists or speech-language pathologists
  • Work with special needs students using techniques such as sign language, Bliss symbols or Braille
  • Monitor students during recess, at noon hour or during the day
  • May assist with marking of tests and worksheets
  • Assist with classroom inventory
  • Assist in school library or office and perform other duties assigned by school principal.
Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Bridgewater, Digby, Lunenburg, Shelburne, Yarmouth

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View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants in Southern Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

Local Employment Potential Information

Table on the employment potential for Elementary and Secondary School Teacher Assistants in Southern Region as well as in the rest of the Nova Scotia.
Location Employment Potential Release Date
Southern Region Fair 2011-09-12

Currently the chances of qualified Teacher Assistants finding employment are considered to be fair in the local area. Employment potential is fair locally because budget have pushed staffing levels down over the last two year but the number of high-needs students has increased and the occupation can be highly stressful, causing additional opportunities due to attrition. Provincial funding dictates the number of TAs a local school board can hire and there are generally enough new graduates and other experienced workers to offset the growth. The provincial government has again indicated that they will be looking for cost-saving measures from all departments, which may lead to budget reductions. This trend of decreased enrolment is expected to continue, leading to decreased funding and subsequently decreased employment across all occupations employed by school boards. A school utilization report for the Tri-County School Board outlined declining enrolment as a major concern with 2009-10 student enrolment of 7,023 is expected to decline by 15 percent in five years. The local School Boards have moved all of its job postings to their website. The postings come in waves with the bulk of hiring or assignments occurring between May and July. The Tri-County School Board, South Shore Regional School Board and CSAP are the major employers for this occupation.

The number of people employed in this occupation is significantly above average (100+), compared to all occupations in the local area. As such, there will be additional demand based solely on this high level of employment - more people moving to other jobs, retiring or quitting.

In addition to employment opportunities locally, opportunities may exist in other areas of the province or in other regions of the country. People who are able to work elsewhere may want to research opportunities for this occupation in other labour markets within Nova Scotia and across the country. The future employment outlook for Teacher Assistants in Nova Scotia is expected to be fair over the next 5 years.

Additional information on Teacher Assistants (opportunities in other areas, training, who hires, current job openings, statistics and other information), is available on other parts of this web site.

[ Source: Labour Market Information - HRSDC ]
Please consult the Nova Scotia and Canada tabs for more useful information related to outlook.