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 happen on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 8 pm, August 29 – October 10 at 53 Asheland Ave. in Asheville. Sign-ups are open now.
How does the program work?
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
Contact
Tasha Lewis
Workforce Development Program Director
828.771.6338 (Text or Call)
Office: 828.407.2060
Email: tasha@buncombepfc.org
Stay Up-To-Date
Helpful Links
Get In Touch
53 Asheland Avenue Suite 102A
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-285-9333
Fax: 828-285-9933
