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By rdnewsNOW staff

More trained EA's

Provincial government expands Educational Assistant Internship Program

Mar 31, 2026 | 3:39 PM

The provincial government announced the expansion of its Educational Assistant Internship Program.

This allows the Government of Alberta to give school boards across the province more access to trained educational assistants.

This decision will help ease staffing pressures and better support students in increasingly complex classrooms.

“Educational assistants are on the front lines of supporting students and teachers in increasingly complex classrooms,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare, in a media release. “Expanding the Educational Assistant Internship Program across Alberta will deliver stronger in-class supports and help school divisions better meet the realities of today’s learning environments.”

Since 2023, the government has invested over $2 million into supporting over 1,280 educational assistants.

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The Educational Assistant Internship Program, the government says, is designed to strengthen the skills of educational assistants through high-quality professional learning.

It equips participants with the foundational knowledge needed to support diverse student needs and succeed in their field, while also supporting school boards in improving recruitment and retention of educational assistants.

“The success of students depends on the quality and consistency of the staff who support them,” said Saadiq Sumar, chair of the Edmonton Public School Board. “Thanks to the Government of Alberta, the Educational Assistant Internship Program has become an important part of our recruitment strategy. With 98 per cent of successful interns choosing to stay with Edmonton Public Schools, this partnership is a shining example of how provincial investment and local expertise can solve workforce challenges and directly benefit Alberta’s classrooms.”