New early care and education program to support talent pipeline

Education

Nov 14

West Michigan Works! has been awarded a $120,000 Caring for MI Future (ARPA) grant to implement its new Early Care and Education Apprenticeship program. This initiative aims to develop a sustainable talent pipeline for early childhood care providers across the region’s seven counties. The program will include up to nine childcare providers and 27 apprentices, with training starting now and continuing throughout 2025.

The program offers apprentices the opportunity to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, a qualification that improves childcare quality and enhances worker career opportunities.

A lack of accessible childcare continues to hinder employment recruitment and retention efforts across industries. According to the 2023 West Michigan Works! Talent Survey, 78 percent of respondents identified difficulty finding childcare as a major barrier to maintaining employment.

A national leader in workforce development programs, West Michigan Works! currently sponsors 36 U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) registered apprenticeship programs, supporting industries including IT, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and early childhood education. In 2023, these programs resulted in 129 active apprentices across the region.

“High-quality childcare is essential to a thriving economy,” said Kelly Tang, apprenticeship success coordinator, West Michigan Works!. “This apprenticeship program provides a direct solution to develop and retain skilled childcare professionals, ensuring families have the support they need and opening doors to meaningful career opportunities in early childhood education.

The Early Care and Education Apprenticeship program offers employers crucial support through financial assistance, certified training, and strategies to enhance employee recruitment and retention. Childcare providers participating in the program will receive funding to offset the costs of launching and running it, helping them offer higher-quality care through a well-trained workforce. The program improves staff knowledge and skills through certified training while attracting and retaining employees with on-the-job learning opportunities.

The program offers no-cost or low-cost training for apprentices, leading to industry-recognized certification and providing a clear career pathway with stackable credentials. Apprentices will earn wages while they learn, participating in flexible, self-paced, cohort-style training supported by experienced mentors and additional support services. This model enables participants to advance into higher-level roles, with most expected to complete the training within three months.

Certified childcare workers with a CDA credential can earn higher wages, from $15-$16 per hour, compared to $12-$13 per hour for non-certified staff.

"Early childhood education offers stackable career pathway options, from entry-level positions to advanced degrees in childcare centers, preschools, and related support services,” said Tang. “With a projected job growth rate through 2028 of four percent for entry-level childcare workers without credentials and five percent for those with a one- to two-year degree, this sector presents several opportunities for job advancement and stable employment.”

In the first round of grant funding, West Michigan Works! partnered with several community organizations and industry experts to identify workforce needs and design the Early Care and Education Apprenticeship program, which has received USDOL approval. These collaborators included Steepletown Neighborhood Services, Vibrant Futures, Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, United Way of the Lakeshore, and Grand Rapids Community College Phyllis Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Laboratory.

Participating childcare businesses can either join the West Michigan Works!-sponsored apprenticeship program or receive technical assistance to develop their own. To fill out an interest form or learn more about becoming an apprentice, visit westmiworks.org/apprenticeships.