In June 2022, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced a new child care apprenticeship Apprenticeships: An arrangement between a developing educator and an employer (e.g., a child care program) that allows the educator to participate in on-the-job professional learning and related coursework. Apprenticeship programs are often sponsored by government agencies and/or non-profit organizations. program to address a workforce shortage in the industry. To build a pipeline of skilled teachers, the TWC was awarded three grants totaling $793,401 to create two new early childhood apprenticeship programs and expand one existing program. The grants expand the Camp Fire First Texas program in Tarrant County, create a new program at Dallas College, and create another new program at the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board, Inc. in Waco. The apprenticeship programs train teachers while offering full-time and paid positions. The grants also assist apprentices who have completed the Registered Apprenticeship Program by transferring their completion certificate into college credit hours, putting them within three to five classes of earning an associate degree.
Sources:
Texas Workforce Commission. (n.d.). Child Care & Early Learning Services – Program Overview.
Texas Workforce Commission. (2022). TWC Awards Grants to Develop Child Care Apprenticeship Programs.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
The early education workforce is the foundation upon which all daily work and any expansion and quality improvement efforts rest. Research suggests that states and cities should invest in the workforce across all early education setting types, focusing on enhancing educators’ professional learning, compensation, and workplace conditions.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Early educators play a critical role in supporting the well-being of young children and families across setting types.
- Yet their pay, benefits, and other professional supports are often inadequate in light of the job demands and their cost of living.