Congratulations to Camp Fire First Texas EEAP!

On August 19, Camp Fire First Texas (CFFT) hosted its 3rd Early Education Apprenticeship Program (EEAP) Graduation Ceremony at Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus. Thirty-five early childhood educators graduated from the program and received their non-expiring United States Department of Labor (DOL) certificate and stipends from the Texas Workforce Commission.

How did the program come about?

Lyn Lucas from Lucas Consulting TX, former Senior Vice President of Early Education and Program Evaluation at CFFT, was  one of the driving forces behind the development of the EEAP. She said that the program came about by “hearing from community early learning practitioners a consistent frustration with many things,” including a lack of qualified staff, staff members feeling "stuck" in the role they were currently in, an interest in advancing career and education but too many barriers to overcome to do so. Lucas said that “we could see a huge opportunity gap for lower resourced individuals that disproportionately affected Black and Brown women. This was complicated by the complexity of negotiating the many disconnected pieces of the multiple systems involved in education, career opportunities, funding and certifications/diplomas.”

The community responded by considering the "non-system" (early childhood education) in order to create a career and educational pathway that linked systems to support a more seamless journey from random training classes, to align professional development with on-the-job learning, college classes, certifications and degrees. The idea of “apprenticeship” for early educators was floated in an Early Learning Alliance (ELA) committee meeting. Later on, the idea became a big enough project to warrant its own committee known as the Early Education Apprenticeship Program Advisory Committee.

With each completed step on the pathway nesting in another, building on each other in a formal way, with agreements between all parties about what each was doing to remove some of those barriers, the Early Education Apprenticeship--Camp Fire concept was built. This was done with an initial partner group that included Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Tarrant County College, Tarleton State University, Texas Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) and, of course, the Early Learning Alliance.

The general concept of apprenticeships is not new. It's been a successful approach used in many industries for decades, for everything from construction to healthcare. What is new, however, is bringing formal Registered Department of Labor (DOL) Apprenticeship opportunities to the field of early education. While it wasn't the first in the country, the EEAP was the first DOL Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) in the state of Texas for early educators. Since that time, a mere 3 years ago, other RAPs have been developed across the state, using the EEAP as an inspiration and example, and the EEAP has continued to grow to meet the demands of the community it serves. 

Why does this work matter? 

Dr. Toni Sturdivant, former Vice President of Early Education at CFFT, believes that “early education apprenticeship programs, like Camp Fire's help to solve two critical issues within early learning: quality learning environments and early educator pay.” Apprenticeship programs have wage increases built into the programs. While the wage increases vary from employer to employer, being able to provide the rationale and justification for higher wages for early educators is important and necessary. Additionally, the knowledge and skills that early educators gain through being a part of the EEAP means that children are being supported and educated in the most appropriate ways. 

The EEAP has contributed to a higher skilled workforce. Apprentices and their mentors consistently document an increase in knowledge and skills that the educators gain through the program. The program also brings educators together from different parts of the county and different types of early learning programs so that they can help each other with similar issues that they face in their own settings. Virtual classrooms help early educators throughout Tarrant County, and throughout the state, form a community with like-minded professionals with whom they may not have otherwise interacted. 

Priscilla Brown, a CFFT Early Education Bilingual Specialist, recruits, coaches, and monitors progress apprentices make in the apprenticeship program with a focus on bilingual services. She said, “I provide one-on-one Spanish coaching support as apprentices navigate their career and educational pathways. I love this program because it offers related instruction to our community teachers and provides different opportunities for Spanish and non-Spanish speakers to excel in the education world!”

What new occupations Camp Fire First Texas EEAP is offering this Fall 2023?

This Fall 2023, Camp Fire First Texas EEAP has expanded with the two new occupations for the Associate and Bachelor levels in their Registered Apprenticeship Program. The rollout of the two new occupations will allow early educators to continue their career pathway and work towards an Associate of Applied Science in Child Development from 3 partnering community colleges: Tarrant County College District, San Antonio College, and North Central Texas College. Apprentices can also pursue a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science in Child Development and Family Studies from Tarleton State University.  In addition to receiving a higher education degree, each apprentice will earn a non-expiring Early Childhood Educator Certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor. With the implementation of the ECE II and ECE III occupations, CFFT continues to improve challenging aspects the early education workforce industry with stackable opportunities through the Early Education Apprenticeship program.

Yolanda Willis, CFTT Director of Early Educator Success, is “happy and proud to welcome the Fall 2023 cohort to our EEAP family at Camp Fire First Texas. As one of the front runners in Early Education and Workforce Development, educators’ success is our focus by igniting a fire for quality to provide a strong start for each child, one apprentice at a time. I look forward to supporting all the apprentices and ensuring our Early Education Apprenticeship Program will be wonderful, fun, and academically successful!”

To learn more about the Camp Fire First Texas Early Education Apprenticeship Program, visit their website at: www.campfirefw.org/early-education-workforce-dev/early-education-apprenticeship-program/

If you are interested in the Early Learning Alliance’s EEAP Advisory Committee, please email: ela@earlylearningntx.org