ACF, Labor, and Education Joint Webinar Highlights the Role of ECE Apprenticeships in Addressing Workforce Shortages

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) co-hosted a webinar on May 25, 2022 to provide an overview of registered apprenticeships, share available resources to develop and support early care and education (ECE) apprenticeship programs, and highlight successful national, state, and local models.

Katie Hamm, ACF Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, spoke about the importance of bringing all three agencies together to address critical shortages in the ECE workforce, which is still at 89% of pre-pandemic levels. These shortages impact families’ ability to go to work, as well as children’s access to early learning opportunities. Other speakers included Katherine Neas, Deputy Assistant Secretary, ED Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director of the DOL Women’s Bureau.