The Challenge
For decades, the early care and education (ECE) industry has faced low wages, high stress, and frequent turnover. This instability affects not only ECE providers but also the broader economy, as families depend on childcare to work—making ECE the “workforce behind the workforce.”
In Kalamazoo, leaders recognized the urgent need to develop a reliable pipeline of skilled ECE professionals who could support both families and local employers.
The Solution
In 2021, YWCA Kalamazoo (YWCA) and the Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) launched the Edison ECE Career Pathway Initiative. Its immediate goal was to recruit, hire, and train staff for YWCA’s 24-hour childcare center, The Dreamery. The long-term goal was broader: expanding the model to other local providers to help fill the regional labor gap.
By 2022, YWCA exceeded its original goal of recruiting 15 early learning professionals (ELPs) by hiring 17. This early success helped the initiative secure an Early Childhood Investment Corporation grant, enabling the collaborative to grow to eight employer partners along with community partners including Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan, Michigan Works! Southwest, and Southwest Childcare Resources (SWCCR). Three organizations—YWCA, KLC, and Goodwill—serve as both employers and community partners.
The collaborative adopted the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s TPM® framework because it provides a structured, demand-driven process for meeting employer workforce needs.
Partners agreed that all new hires should work toward earning a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which requires 480 hours of experience and 120 hours of formal ECE instruction. Roughly 90 days after beginning training, participants may also pursue the U.S. Department of Labor’s ECE Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) certificate, requiring at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.
The collaborative also committed to recruiting talent from the communities it serves to ensure culturally responsive care. As Andre Carr, vice president of early childhood education at YWCA, explains, “Providing these opportunities to local families can change the trajectory of a generation.”
The Edison Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway
Community partners recruit individuals interested in exploring a career in ECE. Community navigators—based at KLC, Michigan Works!, SWCCR, and Goodwill—work with candidates to match their strengths with employer needs. Employers vary in benefits, but all offer wraparound support.
The Edison Career Pathway—from ELP to supervisory coach—is a five-year progression. Employers start new recruits at $16 per hour, above the average entry-level wage of $10–$12 per hour. Recruits and incumbent workers without a CDA enroll in SWCCR’s CDA training program.
At YWCA, ELPs take a skills test six months after earning their CDA. Those who pass become advanced ELPs, earning about $19 per hour. After one year, they may become lead teachers or child development specialists, who earn approximately $24 per hour. After three years, advanced ELPs may take another skills test to become supervisory coaches, who earn up to $32 per hour—double the starting wage. As the collaborative’s lead employer, YWCA is modeling a pathway that partners are working to replicate.
-
58%
Percentage of ELPs enrolled in CDA training hired by employer partners
Supporting Staff Progress
To support staff throughout training, community partners provide wraparound and professional development services such as childcare, transportation, housing assistance, an ECE primer course, adult basic education, and digital, financial, and parent literacy education.
By 2024, the collaborative had grown to nine employer partners. Five are nonprofits and the rest are women-owned small businesses. They range from very small programs (1–3 employees) to centers with more than 70 employees. Larger providers mentor smaller partners to help them build internal capacity. As project coordinator Kamila Tursunova explains, “Ensuring staff feel supported and have access to professional development is crucial because working with kids is challenging and can lead to burnout.”
Success So Far
From 2021 through April 2025:
- 304 individuals expressed interest in the pathway
- 158 received support services
- 53 enrolled in CDA training
- Employer partners hired 31 of these ELPs (58%)
- 17 earned their CDA and remain employed with partner organizations
- Three have earned their ECE RAP certificates, and eight more are on track to earn theirs by May 2025
YWCA has seen a notable improvement in retention. Among ELPs not participating in the pathway, retention was 40%; among pathway participants, it rose to 80%.
Employers report that as staff complete training, they demonstrate increased confidence, professionalism, and quality of care. This success inspires peers to pursue training themselves, improving morale and contributing to business growth. Families also play a role: when they see staff advancing, they refer other parents as potential employees and customers.
Families and local schools are noticing the positive effects on children as well. Deborah Jackson, program support specialist at the S.E.E.D.S. Learning Center, shared: “Parents are amazed at the strength of their children when they go to kindergarten. One of our kids came to our center last year nonverbal. Now she’s a totally different child. I think it’s because we had people well-trained to work with her.” The local school district is seeing these improvements, too.
Best Practices
The collaborative has identified best practices for implementing the TPM approach—useful not only for ECE, but for any sector facing workforce shortages.
- Start with employer intention. Employers must drive decisions about hiring and professional development. As Michael Evans, executive director of KLC, notes, “When the career pathway adapts to employers’ needs, it signals that the collaborative is successfully implementing the TPM framework.”
- Meet regularly to foster alignment. Consistent engagement ensures employers can voice concerns, share requests, celebrate progress, and plan future goals.
- Build quality relationships through transparency. Honest communication enables partners to identify real challenges and co-create solutions. “We work hard to build quality relationships with each partner,” says Tursunova.
- Set measurable goals and share data. Data-driven decision-making helps the collaborative stay responsive to employer needs and continuously improve.
- Be flexible about timelines. As Isabela Robinson, executive director of Kid’s International Home, explains, “Changing the culture in people’s lives takes time. It’s not just about education—it’s about shifting mindsets.”
Expanding Possibilities for the Future
The Edison ECE Career Pathway initiative shows what becomes possible when employers, community partners, and families work together toward a shared vision for opportunity. By strengthening the ECE workforce, the collaborative is not only improving job quality and career mobility but also expanding access to high-quality care that enables parents to work and children to thrive. As partners continue refining the model, expanding credentialing opportunities, and supporting smaller providers, the initiative is poised to deepen its impact—helping build a stronger, more resilient early care and education system for Kalamazoo’s families today and for generations to come.
