A new apprenticeship program launching this fall aims to address early education staffing challenges by creating clearer pathways into the field.

Educational Service District 123 plans to roll out two apprenticeship tracks this summer, with the goal of helping more workers enter the profession – and stay in it.

The problem isn’t a workforce shortage, but a “progression problem,” said Jim Kindle, regional career-connected learning coordinator at ESD 123.

Though it’s starting in just a few counties, the program is on track to become a model for the state.

ESD 123 has been discussing how best to do that for almost two years, and now it’s primed to launch the Early Learning Apprenticeship Pathway, or ELAP.

Apprenticeships

ELAP’s apprenticeship programs are designed around Washington state stackable credentials, Kindle said. The first two will be for assistant teacher and lead teacher positions. 

Apprentices will work with mentors, or “training agents,” at early learning centers, and will also receive instruction from community and technical colleges.  

Apprenticeships require at least 144 hours of related supplementary instruction and at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.

Kindle said apprentices will likely take between 18 to 24 months to work through the program. As they gain experience, apprentices’ wages will increase as well. 

As an example, apprentices in the assistant teacher pathway will be working at 70% of the salary that their mentor center offers to beginning assistant teachers, Kindle said. Once those apprentices reach 750 hours, they progress to the next wage threshold. By the end of the program, they can earn 100% of that salary, or even more, because of the experience and education they’ve gained, Kindle said. 

But before the apprenticeships can launch, they need to be approved by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, or WSATC. 

The programs will go before the council in July, and Kindle said ESD 123 is working with a consultant as well as with the Department of Labor and Industry to ensure they meet all state requirements. 

After the programs are approved, a webpage dedicated to the program will go live and ESD 123 will begin to spread the word via social media and early exposure events at local schools and colleges.  

Launching the programs

The first apprentices should be able to start in the fall, around the same time as the start of the school year. 

Apprentices may be those in high school careers in education courses or those who are employees already in the early learning system, like an assistant teacher who wants to become a lead teacher, Kindle said. 

The local Workforce Development Council and WorkSource offices also will provide information for those interested in getting into the early learning pathway or changing careers.

Apprentices will need to be 18 years or older and meet licensing requirements, like background checks and CPR certification. 

Kindle said that by the time the apprenticeship programs are approved in July, they hope to have a list of potential apprentices who can start when the program launches, ideally about 20 to 25 apprentices with the number growing from there. 

Currently, the program has two partners signed on to be mentors: Little Wings Early Learning Academy in Everett and ESD 123’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP. 

There are four or five more partners that ESD 123 is talking to, Kindle said, and by the time the program is approved in July, they should have training agents in Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Spokane, Pierce, Clallam and Snohomish counties.

It may seem like a strange smattering of counties, but as ESD 123 began developing the apprenticeships, L&I asked the organization to be a state sponsor for the pathway. The organization wanted to start big with the program initially, then pulled back to the counties that were interested, with plans to grow from there, Kindle said. 

He emphasized that Washington’s issues with early education are statewide, not just regional.

Expanding opportunities

In addition to expanding the counties the pathway will operate in, ESD 123 will be working on enlarging the opportunities provided by the pathway. After the approval of the two apprenticeship programs, the pathway will grow to include pre-apprenticeship programs as well as a more advanced leadership program.

Two pre-apprenticeship programs will go before the WSATC in October. Kindle described them as shorter, “try before you buy” programs to help students understand what the work and expectations will be like in the apprenticeships. 

One will be tied to K-12 courses, while the second will be connected to workforce development councils and give more exposure to young adults and those who want to change careers. 

Then, in January, ESD 123 will begin launching a leadership program, intended for program or center directors who would be managing programs. 

Other possibilities for expansion include a family support apprenticeship pathway, Kindle said. 

Although the program is focused on early learning, Kindle said the impact could be much greater. 

“If families can’t access childcare, they can’t consistently participate in the workforce,” he said. “Our hope is that as we build this, we have the ability to provide that access to families for more childcare spots,” ultimately helping to build the workforce and keep people in their communities.

Childcare ultimately is “a workforce issue,” Kindle said, “and it touches manufacturing and healthcare and construction and housing.”