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The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) has expanded its Early Educator Fast Track initiative (Fast Track) into Ready Region West to address the ongoing child care staffing shortage impacting parents and employers in Hot Springs, Lexington, Roanoke and Rocky Mount.
According to a press release from the Foundation, a recent workforce survey in Virginia found that almost half of early care and education directors find recruitment and retention of teachers very difficult, with over 50% turning families away because they are unable to staff classrooms and serve as many children as usual. Fast Track seeks to increase child care capacity by addressing staffing shortages so more families are able to access this important workforce support.
The initiative connects early childhood education programs with newly trained early childhood educators. Fast Track trainees who enroll in the program will be paid a competitive wage ($16 per hour in this region) and receive four weeks of paid online and on-site training and guaranteed job placement, with bonuses at six months and one year of employment.
“We’re experiencing a critical teacher shortage, and the need has never been greater for early childhood educators,” said Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “We encourage residents of Hot Springs, Lexington, Roanoke and Rocky Mount and those who live within a commuting distance of these areas to apply for the training program and benefit from a meaningful career.”
To be eligible for the Early Educator Fast Track program, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent, have English proficiency, pass required background checks and be eligible for employment in the U.S. Participants will commit to one year of employment at one of the participating centers. Applicants may have experience or be brand-new to early childhood education, but those already employed at a child care site are not eligible. To date, the program has helped train and place dozens of individuals into assistant teacher roles in child care programs around Virginia. Due to Fast Track hires, these programs have documented their ability to reopen closed classrooms, expand classrooms, and/or serve more children and families, said a spokesman.
Those interested in taking part in the program should visit http://www.vecf.org/fasttrackjobs to complete a brief interest form.
To learn more about the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, visit www.vecf.org.
