CSCCE is widely recognized as a national leader in ECE workforce research and policy. Listen in as Executive Director Lea Austin discusses the policy landscape around funding for the ECE system, the unique potential of the apprenticeship model, her hopes for the National ECE Workforce Center, and more. This is a rich and informative conversation that you don’t want to miss!
Podcast
Early Care & Education: All Things Workforce
Early Care & Education: All Things Workforce tackles the ECE workforce crisis through the lens of registered apprenticeship and accessible professional pathways. Hosted by ECEPTS Executive Director Randi Wolfe, Ph.D., the podcast features national leaders, practitioners, and advocates discussing systemic challenges, policy innovations, and strategies to strengthen the economic well-being of early educators and care providers.



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Episode 10: A Conversation with Lea Austin, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC-Berkeley
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Episode 09: The Nuts and Bolts of ECE Apprenticeship: Learning from North Carolina
Whether you’re new to the world of ECE Apprenticeship or a seasoned veteran, this conversation with Charlie Milling from ApprenticeshipNC will be useful in learning about one state’s efforts to create ECE Apprenticeships, develop ECE career pathways from high school through community college, and encourage employers’ capacity as ECE Apprenticeship sponsors.
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Episode 08: Learning from Apprenticeship Intermediary Pioneers: LAUNCH and ECEPTS
The recognition of Intermediaries as critical to expanding registered apprenticeships in emerging and non-traditional sectors is gaining considerable traction. In California, LAUNCH and ECEPTS have been innovators in demonstrating the potential of intermediaries and establishing a compelling proof of concept. Listen in as ECEPTS Executive Director, Randi Wolfe, talks with Charles Henkels, Director of the LAUNCH Network, about “All Things Intermediary.”
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Episode 07: CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards – Part 2: Focus on Equity
In Part 2 of this 2-part interview, Adele Burnes, Deputy Chief of the CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards, talks about equity in the context of the Registered Apprenticeship system, highlighting strategies and initiatives California is embracing in this regard, and advocating for better policies around the economic challenges facing workers in the “care economy.”
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Episode 06: CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards – Part 1: Focus on Systems
In Part 1 of this 2-part interview, Adele Burnes, Deputy Chief of the CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards, discusses the significance of expanding apprenticeship to “non-traditional” sectors like education and technology. She also articulates the funding mechanisms available to absorb the costs of the academic component of apprenticeships.
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Episode 05: Walking the Walk: Prioritizing Equity and Diversity in ECE Apprenticeships
Joya Chavarin, Ed.D., was one of the original architects of ECE Apprenticeships in California. Her personal and professional lived experience as a black woman informs her understanding of what “walking the walk” of equity and diversity means in ECE professional development, and grounds her unwavering commitment to centering student success and workers’ voices in program design and implementation.
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Episode 04: Kentucky’s Innovative Apprenticeships for Youth and ECE Directors
Brenda Hagan first got involved in ECE Apprenticeships as a small business owner trying to address a staffing shortage. Since then, as Project Manager in the KY Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, Brenda has developed a unique and successful apprenticeship for high school students interested in ECE, and recently launched the first apprenticeship in the U.S. aimed at training ECE Center Directors!
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Episode 03: Perspectives from an Early Adopter
This episode features Pamm Shaw, the primary force and architect behind the large and highly successful Head Start Apprenticeship of the YMCA of the East Bay in California. Reflecting a deep understanding of the ECE industry and workforce, Pamm offers unique wisdom, insight, and encouragement to folks currently in the trenches of building ECE Apprenticeships or considering taking the plunge!
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Episode 02: Youth Apprenticeship and ECE
This episode of the ECEPTS podcast features Taylor White and Michael Prebil from New America’s Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship(PAYA). Join Dr. Wolfe and her guests as they discuss the history and evolution of Youth Apprenticeship in the U.S., what it takes to create equitable, replicable youth apprenticeship models, and the unique significance of Youth Apprenticeships focused on Early Care & Education.
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Episode 01: Systems, Silos and Stereotypes
In this first episode, you’ll hear from Randi Wolfe, Ph.D., Executive Director of Early Care & Education Pathways to Success (ECEPTS), as she discusses the goals of this podcast and the challenges to be considered in the long-term battle to address the “wage issue” that has stymied the development of a robust early care and education industry for decades.