LANSING- Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced 12 recipients of Early Care and Education (ECE) Registered Apprenticeships from the Early Childhood Investment Corporation’s (ECIC) Child Care Innovation Fund. All 12 recipients will help finance, provide educational support, and increase compensation for Michiganders who want to become early childhood educators in 65 counties across Michigan.
“Access to quality, affordable early learning opportunities sets kids up for long-term success,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today’s investment in apprenticeships will create more paths for Michiganders to become skilled, qualified early education professionals and help us meet our statewide goal of opening or expanding 1,000 childcare programs by the end of 2024. We are already well on track, with nearly 800 programs opened, and with today’s investment we will continue taking action to help aspiring education professionals and our kids ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
Michigan Works! Region 7B was one of the successful applicants. The agency received $230,000 to help implement apprenticeships in Early Childhood Education across their six-county service area, which includes Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Roscommon counties.
“Michigan Works! Region 7B is very excited to be able to partner with the many great people across our six counties who have been working and strategizing to help alleviate the childcare desert,” said Pam O’Laughlin, Chief Operating Officer. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Early Childhood Investment Corporation to be able to connect the high school Career Technical Education (CTE) students with our community colleges and employers to help make a difference for everyone through the creation of apprenticeships.”
She added, “High-quality childcare matters, and so do the people who work in that occupation. We are happy to be able to serve both.”
The investment for ECE Registered Apprenticeship grantees is part of the $12.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding awarded by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) as part of the Caring for MI Future initiative, a $100 million investment to open 1,000 new, or expanded, childcare programs by the end of 2024.
