As we have discussed, access to affordable, reliable child care is one of the most critical issues that employers across the country continue to raise. Without accessible, high-quality early childhood education, employers across industries face an extremely high barrier to supporting a workforce that allows communities to grow economically and prosper.
Like other states, Oregon’s child care sector is facing a well-documented workforce shortage, limiting some parents’ ability to return to work and employers’ ability to attract and engage talent. I have previously noted that Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs are especially powerful in this field because they reduce financial barriers, create career stability, and professionalize early learning roles that are essential to regional economies.
To help address this challenge, Willamette Workforce Partnership (WWP), the workforce development board for Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley, supports the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency’s (MWVCAA) Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) early learning RA initiative, the Willamette Valley Early Learning Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). MWVCAA serves Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties in Oregon. The RA program, which also includes Clackamas County, grew from discussions about local employer pain points. Historically, more workforce support went toward opening programs than toward developing and retaining center-based staff in this region; however, these communities did not just need more early educator applicants: they needed a structured way to recruit, train, coach, and retain them while they were already in classrooms.
Through this program, and with assistance from the Early Childhood Workforce Connector, a national independent ECE apprenticeship intermediary co-founded by Midwest Urban Strategies, MWVCAA recruits, screens, and enrolls participants into an RA program that combines paid, on-the-job training with education and skill development. Participants also receive comprehensive workforce support through WWP’s contractor, the Community Services Consortium (CSC), and WorkSource Oregon, to ensure they are fully supported from day one through job placement and follow-up. The program prioritizes measurable outcomes like credentials earned, skills gained, and long-term gainful employment.
Through WWP’s Future Ready Oregon Prosperity funding and consistent support, the RA program, which had originally hoped to register five apprentices in its first year, just enrolled 98 apprentices a little over a year later. Overall, the model demonstrates strong outcomes, with a 93% retention rate, substantially higher than the approximately 30% national early educator retention rate. With MWVCAA as the group sponsor, leveraging WWP’s support, this RA program illustrates that CCR&Rs can bridge languages, expectations, and supports across the workforce, apprenticeship, and early learning systems. CCR&Rs have crucial trusted relationships with providers, employers, workforce development boards, community colleges, and other local partners within and across communities.
This program directly supports WWP’s commitment to building a skilled workforce, supporting employers, and addressing barriers to employment. By investing in early learning professionals, they strengthen local infrastructure, support working families, and create accessible pathways into high-demand careers. This RA program represents a practical, people-centered solution that moves this region closer to a thriving economy with prosperous communities. MWVCAA’s work in this critical area of workforce development is both commendable and replicable in other states.
