Apprenticeship
Purpose
The child care development specialist apprenticeship program was developed as a strategy for linking high quality, well-trained early child care professionals with increased compensation, job security and career enhancement opportunities. The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) and the Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance (WCAA) partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to develop this program.
Success in this apprenticeship program is based on the following factors:
- Competent and enthusiastic job performance.
- Regular attendance and successful completion of weekly related-instruction classes
- Successful completion of the additional 40 hours of instruction needed to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential certificate
- Willingness to make the two year commitment.
- Acceptable, timely submission of monthly paperwork
Overview
WCAA has combined on-the-job training with specialized post-secondary education to help provide the knowledge and experience necessary for success in the child care field.
The first group of apprentices for the childhood development specialist apprenticeship program started in the spring of 2003. Our goal is to initiate a new apprentice group yearly. Apprentices receive 4,000 hours of on-the-job training with a qualified childhood development specialist mentor and are required to attend a minimum of 315 hours of related classroom instruction.
Scholarships may be available through WY Quality Counts.
Benefits
For the Apprentice:
- Wages progress with knowledge achieved
- Documented job experience
- College hours toward an Associates Degree
- A CDA, Professional Development Certificate and a Department of Labor certificate
For the Employer:
- Increased productivity resulting from a highly skilled workforce
- Decreased employee turnover
- Qualified employees
For the Mentor:
- The opportunity to enrich the early child care profession by sharing expertise with an apprentice
- Annual training on how to be an effective mentor
- Develop and enhance leadership skills
- A monetary stipend