ECE Registered Apprenticeship Pathways
The CDA® can be the first step toward an ECE career for apprenticeship participants.
The CDA® and ECE Registered Apprenticeship Programs
The relationship between the CDA® and ECE registered apprenticeship is strong.
Apprenticeships are an “earn and learn” model in which participants earn wages while learning on the job. Participation in child care apprenticeships is popular—and growing! The CDA® is the perfect step on the career pathway for apprenticeships. It is uniquely positioned to support apprenticeships, as it can be awarded at any point in the apprenticeship program once the credentialing requirements are met. The CDA incorporates elements that are very similar to apprenticeship, making the CDA a very good fit for early childhood education apprenticeships!
For more information on this synergy, starting with the key components of both the CDA and registered apprenticeships, click the button below to download Leveraging the CDA to enhance ECE Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
The CDA®: Part of the Pathway
The CDA is the perfect step on the career pathway for apprenticeships and is part of many apprenticeship programs. The Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE) and is the best first step on the path of career advancement in ECE. The distinctive CDA® Credential is the only nationally-recognized, portable, reciprocal, competency-based credential of its kind in the country. It is uniquely positioned to support apprenticeships, as it can be awarded at any point in the apprenticeship program once the credentialing requirements are met. The CDA incorporates elements that are very similar to apprenticeship, making the CDA a very good fit for early childhood education apprenticeships. If any questions, please contact: partnerships@cdacouncil.org.
Mapping CDA® Competency Standards to Work Activities in Registered Apprenticeships
The competencies CDA® candidates are required to learn align with the work activities laid out by the Department of Labor (DOL) for both apprenticeable occupation codes for early childhood education, Child Care Workers and Preschool Teachers. This alignment showcases how deeply the CDA fits a critical component of apprenticeships: the skills that apprentices are expected to master for successful program completion.
Resource Links
- EdSurge News | What’s Behind the Explosion of Apprenticeships in Early Childhood Education?
- Bipartisan Policy Center | Apprenticeships: The Fastest Growing Strategy for Child Care Workforce Development
- Bipartisan Policy Center | Apprenticeships: Building a Strong Childcare Workforce Pipeline