Early Childhood Workforce Connector (ECWC)

Early Childhood Workforce Connector

The Early Childhood Workforce Connector (ECWC) is dedicated to advancing a highly qualified and well-compensated early childhood education (ECE) workforce through supporting the development and expansion of Registered Apprenticeship (RA), Youth Apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs.

As an independent ECE apprenticeship intermediary, we provide personalized support, strategic collaboration, and practical resources that strengthen apprenticeship program design, operations, mentorship, community engagement, and sustainability.

Check out our Services page to learn more.

Why Work With Us

When you work with ECWC, you gain a dedicated partner invested in your goals and the success of your program. Our team brings deep expertise and a hands-on approach to help you develop high-quality apprenticeship programs that create real opportunities for early childhood educators.

We know the systems.

Our team has expertise in early childhood education, Registered Apprenticeship, and the public workforce system.

We deliver results.

ECWC has helped launch 17 new Registered Apprenticeship programs and supported the registration of more than 1,000 apprentices nationwide.

We build connections.

Cross-sector collaboration is paramount to advancing the ECE workforce. Our team has supported over 80 partners to launch and sustain ECE RA programs through connections with local, state, and federal stakeholders.

We innovate with purpose.

Through our partnership with family child care providers and SEIU Education & Support Fund, for example, we established a Family Child Care National Guideline Standard to support the development of RA programs for home-based providers.

Check out our Partner with Us page to learn more.

“Partnering with ECWC made the process of becoming a Registered Apprenticeship smooth and guaranteed our success.” – Amanda Schwartz, Associate Program Director University of Maryland CECEI

“ECWC’s support has been invaluable! … They were able to meet us where we were at… It felt like we finally got the support we needed!” – New York State Council on Children and Families

Why Apprenticeship Works for ECE

Apprenticeship programs are a powerful investment in the early childhood workforce, offering high‑quality professional learning that strengthens career pathways and expands the supply of skilled child care professionals. Employers benefit from customized training, stronger retention, and reduced turnover, helping build a dependable, highly skilled workforce that meets the needs of children, families, and local economies.

Learn more on our Apprenticeship page.

Connect with Our Team!

To discuss how the Early Childhood Workforce Connector can help you meet your workforce goals, visit our Contact page.