Only those individuals who are prepared for the professional challenges of the 21st century can aptly respond to them. The quality of the educational-upbringing system, in particular the preliminary one, which is early childhood and pre-school education, is the priority for every society which has a clear development strategy and which has a systematic educational policy. Particular attention, therefore, should be devoted to the initial training and continuing professional development of the educator. This is necessary in order for them to acquire the necessary pedagogical competences needed for working with children of an early and pre-school age. Only a competent educator can achieve favourable conditions which enable the development of the child's competences. Various roles demand various competences which the educator must possess such as: competences linked to understanding and advancing the child; learning; monitoring, evaluation, improving processes; school, family, local community; curriculum and the competences necessary for improving the educator's own personal traits and professional activity. By improving these competences, the educator systematically builds his/her professional identity.