Become an Early Educator

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Early Childhood Workforce Development Program

Want to make a difference for kids? Get paid while training to become an early educator! Our Early Childhood Workforce Development Program offers classroom experience, a college course, and personalized support to start your career in early education.

We offer dinner during in-person trainings. If you have kids, we also offer child care. Our team works hard to make sure that nothing holds you back!

The next session will take place online Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 8 pm, January 31 through February 23. Sign-ups are open now.

How does the program work?

To Join

Fill out this interest form or contact Tasha Lewis at 828-771-6338.

What are the Steps in the Program?

Pre-Service Training (24 hours total)

Child development and classroom behavior guidance
CPR/First Aid
Classroom observations
Online training
Health & safety topics
Stipend when all 24 hours are completed

Classroom Contact Hours

BPFC assists with classroom placement and hires substitutes for placement in programs around the county
Gain experience in a variety of classroom settings
Must complete 20 hours (paid or unpaid) for program

Ongoing Support

Individual Coaching during all phases of the program and after moving on to full-time work
Connections with other people in the program
Extra training opportunities
Dinner & child care provided for meetings

EDU-119

Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Earn the NC Early Childhood Credential
Dinner & child care provided
In-person and online class components
Weekly meetings with other program participants will continue on non-class weeks to allow time for homework, support, and group conversation.

Why Workforce Development?

There is currently a severe shortage of qualified early childhood educators in Buncombe County. The early childhood teacher shortage has far-reaching impacts on our community, as programs are unable to expand without staff. These creates a lack of child care for young children, whose parents can’t enter the workforce. Currently only about one third of age-eligible children in Buncombe County are enrolled in licensed programs. In addition, many teachers struggle with frustration and burnout due to children with higher needs and behavioral and learning challenges, coupled with inadequate training and resources.

Our Early Childhood Workforce Development Program addresses these issues with an influx of new teachers into the fields, with funding from Asheville City Strategic Partnership Fund, The Buncombe County Early Childhood Fund, and an NC Works Local Innovation Grant in collaboration with the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board.

What is the substitute program?

Substitutes are available for placement in Buncombe County early care and education programs. Contact us for more information!

What qualifications do the substitutes have? Substitutes are participants in BPFC’s Workforce Development Program and have finished at least 24 hours of pre-service training. They have complete DCDEE licensing files including qualification letter, orientation training hours, ITS-SIDS and First Aid/CPR. Substitutes are employees of BPFC and will receive ongoing support and coaching in classroom practices from BPFC staff.

How do I request a substitute? Substitutes can be requested using the form on this page or the direct link here: REQUEST FORM. Programs wishing to enroll as Substitute Placement Sites will need to have an orientation meeting with Tasha Lewis, Workforce Development Program Director.

How much does it cost? Effective August 1, 2019 substitute time is billed at $14.25/hr.

Request a sub

Link to Request a Sub

Contact

Tasha Lewis

Workforce Development Program Director

828.771.6338 (Text or Call)

Office: 828.407.2060

Email: tasha@buncombepfc.org