Currently studying to qualify to teach in BC but it sounds like its going
to be very tough to get a job there even with all my experience.

Is it worth considering elementary teaching in Alberta?

Is it just as difficult or are there more vacancies or opportunities in education?

Would love to live in BC, but not much point if you are not needed.

Any info would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks.

From what teacher friends of mine have told me, the job situation for teachers is similar in Alberta, although perhaps just slightly better. Unfortunately, there is currently a 'perfect storm' for teacher underemployment/unemployment happening in BC, Alberta and, from what others have told me, Ontario.

In the late 1990's there was much buzz about a looming teacher shortage because the majority of teachers were in their late 40's and early 50's and would be retiring in 10 or so years. More universities started teacher education programs and the already existing ones expanded their enrollment. More and more new teachers graduated from these programs. However, the anticipated job vacancies never materialized for the following reasons:

- The student population was in steady decline. Although the population of Alberta and BC is rising, this is due to inter-provincial migration and international immigration, not natural growth. There are fewer and fewer babies being born.

- The teachers who were in their 40's and 50's didn't retire en masse as expected. They continue to work later and later, not opting for early retirement. Some of those who do retire, continue to work as occasional TOC's for the love of teaching and to supplement their pensions.

- BC and Alberta elected economically-savvy governments who knew how to control spending and stimulate the economy. As a result of fiscal belt-tightening, schools have been closed (a topic of hot debate at the moment). Whether their cuts are necessary or have gone too far is another topic of hot contention between the teachers union and the government.

- The red-hot economies of BC and Alberta are encouraging people from other provinces to migrate west. Although there aren't many teaching vacancies, teachers usually end up coming in the form of spouses of other job-seekers.

Some education professionals now believe that this 'looming teacher-shortage', in fact, never even existed. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As a result of the good economies in the west, people are having more and more children. It will take at least 5 or 6 years for these children to start entering the education system, but, when they do, the employment situation for teachers should brighten. Also, due to the strain in the public school system, the economically-savvy governments are starting to realize that their fiscal knives went too deep and are starting to increase funding to education.

This fact doesn't comfort teachers now however. There are continual UK teacher recruitment campaigns looking for newly-graduated BC teachers to go overseas. These graduates do so not just for the adventure, but because they can't find full-time work at home. New York City, other US states, and the Northwest Territories also have strong recruitment campaigns in the western provinces at the moment hoping to hire from the large pool of underemployed/unemployed teachers.