BHK Apprentices ‘Earn While They Learn’

Posted July 26, 2023

Early childhood education is a rewarding career in a field with high demand. What happens in the early childhood years can affect children for a lifetime, impacting not only children’s readiness for school, but their academic trajectory, employment, and long-term health outcomes.

It is imperative that the early childhood workforce has the knowledge and competencies necessary to optimize children’s development. Early childhood educators observe and assess children’s strengths, interests, and areas of need. They individualize educational experiences within a well-designed learning environment to build the children’s academic skills, confidence, and resilience.

BHK’s Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship program provides a unique opportunity to support skill development in the high-demand field. In partnership with local high schools and higher education like Bay Mills Community College and Gogebic Community College, BHK can provide additional learning paths for individuals interested in working with young children.

Registered under the U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with UP MiWorks!, BHK’s Apprenticeship program was the first early childhood apprenticeship program in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and one of seven in the state.

The program is structured to provide mentoring support and T.E.A.C.H. scholarship so that apprentices can access and complete college coursework debt-free. Apprentices receive on-the-job training along with related educational instruction. Wage increases are provided as participants meet benchmarks for skill attainment. Upon completion, they receive a certificate of completion from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship and a Child Development Associate credential that allows individuals to educate and care for children in licensed centers across the nation.

The Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship program for youth and adults is underway and will extend beyond the individual and BHK, as the skills acquired through the program are put into practice caring for the for the community’s youngest members.

For more information on BHK’s Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship program email HR at hr@bhkfirst.org or call 906-487-6600 ext. 61403.