Early childhood apprenticeships expand, what it means for field – EdNC

Report on the Expansion of Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeships in North Carolina and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

North Carolina has demonstrated a significant expansion in its early childhood educator apprenticeship program, growing from approximately 12 to 368 active apprentices since January 2023. This initiative represents a strategic approach to address critical workforce shortages in the child care sector, a field foundational to the state’s economic stability. The program’s structure and objectives align directly with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). This report analyzes the program’s growth, its impact on participants and the broader economy, and the challenges to its long-term sustainability, all viewed through the lens of the SDGs.

Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The apprenticeship model is a critical mechanism for enhancing educational quality, both for the educators in training and the children they serve. It provides a pathway for lifelong learning and professional development for a vital workforce.

Key Program Components Supporting SDG 4

• Integrated Learning: Apprentices like Micky Johnson at Kids R Kids Learning Academy RTP are concurrently employed in classrooms while pursuing formal education, such as an associate degree at Durham Technical Community College. This model allows for the immediate application of pedagogical theories, improving teaching quality.
• Career Pathways: The program establishes a clear educational and career ladder, encouraging educators to pursue advanced degrees, with some apprentices planning to continue through a master’s degree. This contributes to a more highly qualified and professionalized workforce.
• Early Pipeline Development: Pre-apprenticeship programs in high schools, such as the one at McDowell High School, introduce students to the profession early, creating a sustainable pipeline of future educators and providing them with tuition-free access to higher education upon continuation.

Contributions to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By professionalizing the early childhood education field and addressing workforce shortages, the apprenticeship program directly supports the creation of decent work and fosters statewide economic growth.

Economic and Workforce Impacts

1. Workforce Attraction and Retention: The program incentivizes entry into a traditionally low-wage field by offering a structured career path. As noted by Morgan Ford of Building Bright Futures, individuals are attracted to a career, not just a job. This is crucial for stabilizing “the workforce behind the workforce,” which enables parents and guardians to participate in the broader labor market.
2. Mandated Wage Progression: A core requirement of the registered apprenticeship model is progressive wage increases from employers. This, combined with supplements from programs like WAGE$, addresses the low compensation that has historically plagued the sector, moving educators toward a living wage.
3. Employer Support and Economic Stability: Initial growth was fueled by funding that provided up to 100% wage reimbursement for apprentices, reducing the financial burden on child care centers, which often operate on thin margins. A stable child care industry is essential for attracting new businesses to the state.

Advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The initiative provides significant opportunities for economic empowerment in a field identified as “female-dominated,” thereby advancing gender equality and reducing systemic inequalities.

Programmatic Support for Equity

• Empowering a Female-Dominated Workforce: By creating pathways for professional advancement and improved wages, the program directly invests in the economic empowerment of women.
• Reducing Barriers to Education: Financial supports are critical for ensuring equitable access. These include:
  • The state-funded TEACH scholarship, which provides tuition assistance.
  • Wrap-around support from the Building Bright Futures (BBF) pilot, which covered costs for transportation, supplies, and onboarding.
• Enhanced Job Satisfaction and Value: Apprentice Nyaleshia Sibley reported feeling valued by her employer, stating, “They show us that they actually care and want us to progress.” This sense of investment is key to retaining staff and reducing turnover.

Challenges to Sustainability and Long-Term Goal Attainment

The program’s rapid success was heavily dependent on temporary funding streams that have now expired or are at risk, posing a significant threat to continued progress toward the aforementioned SDGs.

Funding and Systemic Issues

1. Dependence on Temporary Funding: The expansion was largely supported by a $12 million state allocation and over $4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and DCDEE funds for the BBF pilot. This one-time funding has been exhausted.
2. Future Funding Uncertainty: The program currently operates on a reduced level of funding from the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), which is proposed for elimination in the federal budget. The loss of these funds would have a “devastating impact” on the early childhood system, according to DCDEE.
3. Low Base Wages: The fundamental issue of low wages in the sector persists. The average hourly wage for child care workers in 2024 was $14.20. Without sustained public investment to increase base pay, the long-term sustainability of the workforce remains precarious.

The Imperative of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of the apprenticeship model is a testament to the power of multi-sectoral partnerships, a core principle of SDG 17.

Collaborative Framework

• State and Non-Profit Collaboration: The initiative is a joint effort involving the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), ApprenticeshipNC, and non-profits like Early Years.
• Group Sponsorship Models: Organizations like Durham Pre-K act as group sponsors, handling administrative burdens for 24 child care centers and making the program accessible to smaller employers.
• Statewide Standardization: The establishment of a statewide model through Early Years in October 2024 ensures consistency, quality, and streamlined access to resources like TEACH scholarships for all participating employers.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The article is centered on an apprenticeship program that provides early childhood educators with access to higher education, including associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. It highlights how apprentices like Micky Johnson are “earning her associate degree at Durham Technical Community College while applying what she learns to her teaching practice.” This focus on vocational training, skill development, and lifelong learning directly aligns with SDG 4.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The program is presented as a solution to “attract and retain high-quality staff in a low-wage field.” It aims to transform a “job” into a “career” by providing wage increases, mentorship, and a clear pathway for professional growth. The article also links the stability of the child care workforce to broader economic goals, calling it “the workforce behind the workforce,” which is a core theme of SDG 8.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The article explicitly notes that early childhood education is a “female-dominated, non-industry career.” By creating structured pathways for professional development, higher education, and increased wages, the apprenticeship program directly supports the economic empowerment of women working in this sector.

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The program provides opportunities for individuals who previously faced barriers to education. The article features Micky Johnson, who “wanted to return to school for a long time but never had the opportunity.” By offering tuition assistance and an “earn-while-you-learn” model, the program reduces economic barriers and promotes inclusion for those in low-wage jobs.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The success of the apprenticeship model is attributed to a multi-stakeholder partnership. The article describes the collaboration between government bodies (Division of Child Development and Early Education – DCDEE, ApprenticeshipNC), non-profits (North Carolina Business Committee for Education – NCBCE, Early Years), community colleges, and private employers (child care centers), which exemplifies the collaborative approach promoted by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article details how apprentices access community college and university degrees, supported by financial aid like the “state-funded TEACH scholarship.”
   • Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The entire apprenticeship model is designed to provide hands-on, relevant skills for a career in early childhood education.
   • Target 4.c: Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers. The program’s primary goal is to address the “inability to attract and retain high-quality staff” by creating a pipeline of well-trained and educated early childhood teachers.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The program addresses the “low-wage field” by requiring employers to provide “wage increases” and connecting apprentices to “education-based wage supplements” through programs like WAGE$.
   • Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The article highlights the expansion of “pre-apprenticeships in high schools” as a key step in creating an early childhood pipeline, directly engaging youth and providing a path from education to employment.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life. By providing a career ladder, educational opportunities, and better wages in a “female-dominated” field, the program enhances women’s economic participation and potential for advancement.

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all. The program model, with its built-in financial supports like tuition assistance and wage reimbursements, is designed to make career advancement accessible to individuals in a low-wage sector who might otherwise be excluded.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article describes the Building Bright Futures (BBF) initiative as a collaboration involving DCDEE (public), NCBCE (non-profit/civil society), and child care centers (private), demonstrating a clear public-private-civil society partnership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)

   • Number of active apprentices: The article explicitly states a dramatic increase, from “around 12 active early childhood educator apprentices… Now, there are 368.” This is a direct measure of participation in vocational training.
   • Number of pre-apprentices: The BBF pilot “supported almost 500 pre-apprentices and apprentices,” indicating the program’s reach to both youth and adults.
   • Educational attainment of participants: The article mentions apprentices earning associate degrees and planning for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, which can be tracked to measure educational outcomes.

2. Indicators for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

   • Wage levels and increases: The article mentions the “average hourly wage in 2024 for ‘child care workers’ in the state was $14.20” and that the program requires “wage increases from her employer.” Tracking these wages is a key indicator of progress toward decent work.
   • Staff retention rates: A program coordinator notes, “We’ve been able to retain our staff.” Measuring retention rates at participating centers would indicate the program’s success in stabilizing the workforce.
   • Number of apprenticeships statewide: The governor’s goal “of doubling the number of apprenticeships in the state over the next four years” serves as a high-level progress indicator.

3. Indicators for SDG 5 & 10 (Gender Equality & Reduced Inequalities)

   • Participation rates with tuition support: The number of individuals utilizing programs like the TEACH scholarship is an indicator of reduced financial barriers to education, which disproportionately benefits women in this low-wage, female-dominated field.

4. Indicators for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

   • Number of participating employers/sponsors: The article mentions that the “largest group sponsor is run by Durham Pre-K… The organization sponsors 24 child care centers across Durham County.” This number serves as an indicator of partnership engagement.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: ednc.org