The Early Childhood NYC Apprenticeship Program

The NYC Early Childhood Apprenticeship is a program that helps individuals who are interested in working with young children gain hands-on experience and pursue relevant higher education coursework in early childhood education while earning a fair wage. As part of the city’s goal of connecting 30,000 New Yorkers to apprenticeships by 2030, New York City’s Workforce Development Corporation awarded a grant to the Early Childhood Career Development Center at the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute to fund the Early Childhood Apprenticeship program.

Selected apprenticed will participate in on-the-job training, and attain an nationally recognized industry credential. Early childhood apprentices are paid an hourly wage for working at least 28 hours per week in an early childhood program or child care center. Apprentices will also be compensated for required work readiness training. Coursework for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential will be completed at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Candidates will use the Educational Incentive Program to cover the tuition costs of the CDA certificate program, while the Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program covers books and supplies, fingerprinting and other miscellaneous expenses.

The apprentice program is an 18 month program and requires a guarantee of maintaining employment for 12 months from August 2025 – August 2026. Course work at CUNY SPS will begin in late August 2025 and conclude May 2026. National exams for the CDA will begin in May 2026 and must conclude no later than December 1, 2026. Apprentices will complete up to 60 hours of paid training in the spring and summer semesters of 2025 and then begin working in an early childhood program in summer. Apprentices will begin Child Development Associate coursework at the CUNY School of Professional Studies in the fall semester of 2025 and can expect to graduate with their CDA certificate in May 2026.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be eligible to work in the United States
• Be able to pass a fingerprinting background check
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be prepared to work at least 28 hours per week in an early childhood program in New York City and enroll in CUNY SPS CDA program
• Be ages of 18 and above

Interested applicants can scroll to the bottom of this page and click Apply Now button. All applicants will require a screening interview. Applicants are encouraged to schedule the meeting using the scheduling link below.

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Apprentices will be employed by a partner child Care program and hourly salaries will be covered by the employer. Apprentices will earn a stipend from the Career Development Center to cover the professional development and career advisement time. Educational Incentive Program funding will cover tuition for eligible apprentices’ for credit-bearing CDA courses at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Some expenses will be covered by the program e.g. travel costs, books, supplies, CDA Exams, CPR and first aid course work and exams, assistant teacher certification requirements (optional).

In addition to compensated time for workforce readiness training, hourly wage for employment and tuition for coursework, apprentices will gain valuable access to academic and career advising and networking through the Early Childhood Career Development Center, which supports early childhood professionals throughout the city and state.

The CDA certificate program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies consists of four credit-bearing courses, offered in English and Spanish, online in the evenings and weekends to complement apprentices’ work schedules. Apprentices can expect to take two courses during the fall 2025 semester and two courses during the spring 2026 semester, graduating with the CDA completion certificate in May 2026. Apprentices who successfully complete the CDA certificate program are eligible to apply for the nationally recognized CDA credential. Credits earned through the CDA certificate program may also be applied to associate and bachelor’s degree programs. Learn more about the CDA certificate program at CUNY SPS.