Early education Apprenticeship Intermediary Services

Early educators are essential to children, families, communities, and the economic system across the United States. Early education experts understand that effective teachers and caregivers are crucial to high quality programming for children. Increased early educator requirements over the past two decades have not been supported commensurately with salaries, resulting in the decline of professionals entering the early care and education field. Attracting and retaining early educators is critical to the long term sustainability of ECE programs across the country, and since 2017 ECE system leaders and policy makers have looked to innovative workforce strategies that address current and future pipeline issues. Early education apprenticeships are at the forefront of ECE workforce strategies.

WHy early education matters

Traditionally apprenticeships have been limited to male-dominated fields of industry and manufacture. They serve to strengthen current workforce needs while also developing the needs of the future. A few states are currently developing ECE apprenticeship models, and Kentucky has led this work, especially in the area of ECE youth and leadership apprenticeships. Brenda Hagan registered the first ECE youth apprenticeships in 2016 and has served as Kentucky’s lead expert in its ECE apprenticeship development. She brings not only early care and education content expertise, but also her knowledge of the early education apprenticeship development to Bluegrass Early Education Consulting in the form of ECE Apprenticeship Intermediary Services from idea to implementation.

WHAT I DO

I help organizations, agencies, and policy makers build early care and education apprenticeships that meet their workforce needs. I will help you apply Department of Labor Apprenticeship strategies to develop the ECE apprenticeships that are flexible, convenient, equitable, and effective in solving workforce pipeline issues.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

  • This approach addresses the decrease in qualified leaders entering the care and education workforce and the anticipated increase in demand for new teachers and directors in the coming years by developing and implementing an innovative pathway with the Early Childhood Apprenticeships.

    In the field of early care and education, this work-based learning model offers a new opportunity to practitioners in the field who may have been overlooked in the past, because it recognizes not only the value of post-secondary education, but it also elevates the workplace where the earn-as-you-learn model is implemented. In an essential industry where recruitment and retention strategies centered on post-secondary institutions, early childhood apprenticeships offer certification opportunities that are flexible, compensated, practice-based, and support diversity and equity strategies.

  • 93% of apprentices retain employment after completing their apprenticeship program.

    For every $1.00 spent on an apprentice, the return on investment is $1.49.

    Apprenticeships benefit employers by reducing turnover, fostering greater employee loyalty, increasing productivity, and developing a skilled workforce.

    https://www.apprenticeship.gov/employers/explore-apprenticeship

  • Registered apprenticeships consist of five core components.

    Registered Employer Partner

    On-the-Job Learning (OJL)

    Related Technical Instruction (RTI)

    Progressive Wage Increases

    National Credential upon Completion

    https://www.doleta.gov/oa/employers/apprenticeship_toolkit.pdf

HOW IT WORKS

Research strategies that meet your workforce needs and determine if an employer-driven model like registered apprenticeship is right for you. As you analyze your organizational needs, identify any gaps that may be effectively addressed with an apprenticeship.  Apprenticeship is a flexible, convenient strategy that is easy to integrate into an existing system resulting in benefits for employers and apprentices alike. Part of our intermediary work includes:

  • Early Care and Education Workforce Needs Assessment

  • Gap Analysis

  • Recommended Interventions and Strategies

Explore

This strategy is extremely important but is often relegated to the development of a list of names and entities. Taking the time to identify current partners as well as potential new partners means looking at what each entity brings to the work. What are they currently doing that aligns with your goals and program needs? Plan with the end in mind by developing strong partner and stakeholder relationships that support the program and lead to its ultimate success. We will help you:

  • Research Current Partners and Roles

  • Identify Common Early Education Goals

  • Connect with Potential Partners and Communicate Needs

  • Link Partners with Effective Strategies Highlighting Their Work

PARTNER

Once you have established that your organization will adopt the apprenticeship model, and you have gathered your partners and collaboration team, it is time to build your apprenticeship. As your ECE apprenticeship intermediary I will assist you in the following:Research Current Partners and Roles

  • Design Program to Meet Workforce Needs

  • Develop Program Framework

  • Create Documents, Resources, Materials, and Toolkits

  • Identify and Develop Processes, Procedures, and Best Practices

  • Monitor and Document Implementation

Build

Working with your state-level apprenticeship organization will help you build an apprenticeship program that is compliant with state and federal regulations. Collaboration with early education content experts will ensure that your early education apprenticeship will meet the industry-specific needs for its apprentices. Design Program to Meet Workforce Needs

  • Connect with State-Level Apprenticeship Agency

  • Ensure Compliance with State and Federal Guidelines

  • Complete Standards Following National Guideline Standards, National Program Standards, or Local Apprenticeship Program Standards

  • Register Employer Partners

  • Register Apprentices

Register

ADAPT

This is an additional core component that I have added, to ensure that early education apprenticeships meet the unique needs in a cross-sector approach. Early care and education is often viewed in a siloed approach, but any early education apprenticeship should be available for child care, Head Start/Early Head Start, Family Child Care, and state-funded/public preschool. As your apprenticeship intermediary, I will help you adapt the on-the-job learning work process plan (WPP) to meet your program’s individual needs.Connect with State-Level Apprenticeship Agency

  • Determine WPP Areas for Adaptation

  • Adapt WPP up to 25% for Program Specifications

  • Collaborate with State Apprenticeship Agency to Ensure Compliance

  • Develop Resources, Training, and Mentor Supports

LAUNCH

Once your apprenticeship program is registered, it is time to launch the program. It will be important to dedicate as much time and attention to this core component as to all the others. The successful launch of the program requires that you include all the partners, stakeholders, and collaborators as you communicate information about this newly registered apprenticeship.

  • Communicate and Disseminate Program Information 

  • Recruit and Register New Apprentices

  • Prepare and Train Site Mentors Where Necessary

  • Guide the Apprenticeship Learning

  • Regularly Evaluate the Program and Adapt When Needed

  • Inspire and Encourage Apprentices by Communicating Success

CREDENTIALS

  • I have over 30 years of early education experience and content expertise and have served as the COO of an early education corporation for the past 20 years. I have worked in early care and education, developed programming, and created early education apprenticeships designed to meet the very specific needs of the early care and education workforce.

  • I have state-level experience in developing, designing, and implementing early education apprenticeships. I led Kentucky’s early childhood apprenticeship program from 2019-2023.

  • I am the chief architect of the nation’s first early childhood leadership apprenticeship which launched in 2022.

  • I have earned a Level 4 Trainer Credential through Kentucky’s Trainer Credential program.

  • I have earned a Masters in Organizational Development through the University of Louisville.