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Department of Early Learning and Care

Financial and Career Resources for Early Childhood Education

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Early Childhood Education Resources

Welcome to Opportunities in Early Childhood Education, your comprehensive guide to financial and career support in the field of ECE. Here, you'll find a curated list of scholarships, grants, awards, and stipends designed to help you pursue your passion for early childhood education. Additionally, explore resources like career navigators and both paid and unpaid work experiences that can provide hands-on learning and career advancement opportunities. Whether you're just starting out or seeking to enhance your skills, these resources are here to support your journey toward a rewarding career in ECE.

Scholarships

Training Resources

There are a variety of trainings and webinars available through ORO, and our various provider information sessions and rule trainings. To find more about trainings visit our trainings page, or sign up to receive our Child Care Update Newsletter that highlights additional trainings and resources of interest to providers.

Higher Education ECE Consortia

The Higher Education ECE Consortia focuses on removing barriers and opening access to early childhood education degree completion. By establishing partnerships with universities, colleges, CCR&Rs, and other groups, the consortia will: 

  • Expand access to ECE career pathways;
  • Reduce financial and non-financial barriers, and
  • Empower more students to attain ECE degrees and certificates. 

The Higher Education ECE Consortia requirements align with the NAEYC's Increasing Qualifications, Centering Equity report: 

  • Accessible: combining debt-free and loan-forgiveness policies 
  • Possible: reduce and eliminate non-financial barriers to success 
  • Align with Our Realities: consider all practicum settings 
  • Efficient: create seamless, articulated teacher preparation pathways 
  • Feasible: lessen the time it takes educators to reach attainment 
  • Real: value experience with college credit 
  • Supportive: use cohort models and mentors 
  • Consistent: streamline accountability systems (ex. align with Spark, NAEYC competencies) 
  • Bigger: think outside the classroom (ex. technology solutions) 
  • Responsive: Support development of student leadership and advocacy role and responsibilities 

The role of the agencies is to coordinate with partners to reduce barriers to student success and be responsible for reporting and billing to the Department of Early learning and Care.

Apprenticeships

Early learning apprenticeships are an important strategy for developing a skilled, diverse, and high-quality workforce in the field of early childhood education.

Early learning apprenticeships provide a structured, hands-on approach to workforce development in the field of early childhood education. Apprenticeships offer practical experience and on-the-job training that can help prepare individuals for careers in the field.

Through apprenticeships, individuals can gain experience and knowledge that can help them advance into higher-level roles, such as lead teacher, program director, or early childhood education consultant.

In addition, the early childhood education field is facing a shortage of qualified professionals, and apprenticeships can help address this workforce demand by providing a structured pathway for individuals to enter the field and gain the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful.

Early learning apprenticeships can help promote equity by providing individuals from diverse backgrounds with opportunities to enter the field of early childhood education and gain the skills and knowledge needed for success. This can help ensure that all children have access to high-quality early learning experiences, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Find Apprenticeships

Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has a searchable database of early childhood educator apprenticeship opportunities.

View Apprenticeships
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