Gov. Evers Awards $5M Grant for ECE Workforce Training
Grisby’s Child Development Center in the Sherman Park neighborhood. Photo by Jim Moy.
Wisconsin is on the hunt for innovative solutions to the workforce challenges brought about by COVID. With their second round of Workforce Innovation Grants, they’ve identified and committed funding for leading-edge solutions that will empower businesses to find workers and for workers to connect to living wage careers.
One such solution is the groundbreaking Early Childhood Education (ECE) Workforce Project, which was awarded a $5 million Workforce Innovation Grant on June 29. Developed by the Milwaukee Succeeds-led Milwaukee ECE Coalition and its partners, the project will create a pipeline of workers into the ECE industry which will, in turn, increase the quality of those programs and allow more parents of young children to seek work outside the home.
The Early Childhood Education Landscape
ECE is vital for Milwaukee’s economic development, providing a solid foundation for our future workers and a way for their parents to participate in the workforce. Yet, in its current state, Milwaukee’s ECE system is falling far short of what the city needs.
Roughly half of the city’s children live in neighborhoods that lack access to high-quality, affordable care. One of the main factors is the difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff. In fact, almost 80% of Milwaukee’s child care providers report staffing shortages that are causing them to serve fewer children, close classrooms, or grow their waitlists.
“When child care programs don’t have staff, Milwaukee’s working parents can’t access care for their children,” says Daria Hall, ECE Director at Milwaukee Succeeds. “That’s why the ECE Coalition developed this innovative program to train more early educators. Together, our cross-sector partners will ensure that more Milwaukee residents get the training, support, and compensation they need to become early educators, and that more working families have access to high-quality child care.”
How the Project Works
Laura Gutiérrez, Executive Director of the United Community Center, spoke about the project and its incredible potential to impact the ECE sector during the Governor's press conference.
With this generous investment, a diverse coalition of ECE stakeholders in Milwaukee will create a coordinated system of earn-as-you-learn training, wraparound services and job placement, ultimately ensuring that ECE programs have access to the well-trained, well-supported educators they need.
One of the key components of the ECE Workforce Project is establishing free, accelerated training options through Milwaukee Area Technical College that will allow students to earn stackable and portable credits. An earn-as-you-learn program through the Workforce Advancement Initiative (WAI) at Employ Milwaukee will help remove barriers that can often prevent students from finishing their coursework. Through WAI, students will be eligible to earn at least $12/hour for up to 29 hours/week.
“With unemployment rates at historic lows, this partnership has created an innovative solution that will develop a pipeline of trained child care professionals who live and work right within our community,” says Chytania Brown, President and CEO of Employ Milwaukee.
In addition, the Social Development Commission (SDC) will provide comprehensive wrap-around services and case management to identify and address other issues that stand in the way of course completion, including transportation, housing and food instability, and care for their own children.
“One of the things we believe in is trying to help people in our community do better in their life journey to success,” says Dr. Hinton, Executive Director of SDC. “And one of the things causing those struggles is that we need to do a better job with ECE. While we don’t do the work ourselves, we found it important to partner with organizations who are passionate about it.”
This ECE curriculum will also include hands-on, paid training at the United Community Center and COA Youth & Family Services. In conjunction with the courses offered at MATC, this real-world teaching experience will provide a solid foundation for students, allowing them to transition into the workforce with confidence and begin providing high-quality care for Milwaukee’s children.
“COA is excited to join this team of dynamic organizations in increasing equitable access to quality ECE across the city,” says Charlotte Cannon-Sain, Executive Director of COA. “This collaborative partnership is critical to building a sustainable pipeline of early educators in Milwaukee which will have a long-lasting impact on the greater community for years to come.”
Finally, after earning their ECE credentials, participants will have the opportunity to enter into full-time, sustainable jobs at COA and UCC, as well as other local center- and family-based providers, who are need of high-quality, well-trained staff.
Hope for the Future
Ultimately, the ECE Workforce Project will serve 105 trainees over three years – but the effects of the program will ripple throughout the community for years to come.
As local providers hire and retain these educators, the quality of their programs will increase. Not only does this benefit parents and children, but it also allows these programs to attain a better rating and, therefore, get more funding. In turn, they’re able to pay their staff more, leading to better retention and fewer classroom closures.
“This grant will provide the necessary training and support systems to staff and providers to ensure all children have a skilled and prepared teacher in their classroom to help them succeed,” says Laura Gutierrez, Executive Director of UCC. “Our workforce needs this support, but most importantly all children of Milwaukee, regardless of zip code, deserve the best educational environment possible.”
