Originally developed in partnership with the Early Educator Training Center of the Service Employees International Union, ECEPTS Apprenticeships aim to recast entry level positions in early care and education from being seen as “dead-end jobs” to being on-ramps and springboards to well-paid careers in ECE and a variety of related, respected fields. ECEPTS apprenticeship models address existing education and training gaps by offering innovative, multi-level programs designed to support the success of working adults with structured on-the-job learning, coaching and mentoring, coordinated college coursework with academic supports, professional learning communities, and increased compensation.
Through participation in ECEPTS Apprenticeships, ECE workers earn college credit (at no cost to program participants) that articulates to state-recognized permits and degrees required for higher-wage positions of greater leadership and responsibility. The state and federally registered programs establish a pipeline of qualified workers and a career pathway to self-sufficiency for the nearly 205,000 low-income, mostly female workers who make up the Early Care and Education workforce in California.