With Halloween around the corner, your little one likely can’t stop thinking about what they’re going to dress up as—and let’s be honest, how much candy they’re going to get. If your child absolutely insists on creating their very own vampire or witch look this Halloween without any outside help, then you just might have a future makeup artist or costume designer on your hands.

That’s spooktacular news, because there are all kinds of creative and rewarding career paths in these fields for your child to consider when thinking about their post-secondary education. Fortunately, an RESP can help your child reach their full potential in any field they choose (more on this later).

In fact, prosthetic makeup artists and costume designers are not only in high demand around Halloween (who doesn’t want to have the coolest getup at the party?), but year round as well. Film and theatre makeup artists, artists who work for cosmetic companies, and in-house artists at salons are just a few of the many positions that exist for skilled makeup enthusiasts.  Costume designers also have a number of career options that aren’t limited to the most frightening time of the year—including jobs in film and television and in the retail fashion industry.

And like most meaningful professions, going after a career in makeup and costume design starts with a post-secondary education. Canadian students can choose from a wide variety of educational options in these fields, including online programs, community college diplomas and four-year university degrees—all of which can be paid for with the help of an RESP.

Sheridan College, for example, offers a one-year graduate certificate in Advanced Special Effects Makeup, Prosthetics and Props, while Capilano University offers a two-year Costuming for Stage & Screen Diploma.

Careers in prosthetic makeup and costume design are growing in demand in Canada, as is the earning potential for these jobs. Take a special effects makeup artist: the average salary is currently $92,688 according to salaryexpert.com, and it’s expected to reach $107,451 by 2026. And salaries are on the rise for costume designers too. These are just some of the many career paths available to those who graduate from post-secondary programs in makeup and design.

With all the new careers available to young people today, the opportunities for your creative child are endless, and CST Spark is here to help you save for their post-secondary education so they can follow their dreams, however spooky they are.

We all know kids often choose their costumes based on what they want to be when they grow up (sorry to all those parents of witches and zombies). So there’s no better time to start thinking about their future—and to open an RESP—than during the spookiest time of the year. Saving for your child’s education in a CST Spark RESP is not only easy (you can do it all from the comfort of home), but it also pays off.

Thanks to the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), the government matches 20% of the first $2,500 you contribute to your child’s RESP each year, up to $500 in grants (CESG) and a lifetime maximum of  $7,200 per child. Your child can use that money down the road to cover tuition, rent, a laptop, and even late-night study snacks like Halloween taffy and gummy eyeballs... you name it! You can learn more about the other benefits of an RESP here.

And now that you know a bit more about the fangtastic career opportunities out there, why not take 5 minutes to start a CST Spark RESP? We’re ready to help you make your little goblin's dreams come true. And if you ever need help or have a question about your RESP, you can reach out to us —we don’t bite!

CST Spark Education Portfolios are sold only by prospectus. Investors should read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.  Copies may be obtained from www.cstspark.ca.