BBF Presents at 2024 Annual Smart Start Conference

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The Annual Smart Start Conference in May brought together child care center directors, industry partners, and other early childhood stakeholders from North Carolina and across the nation. The BBF team was honored to present at the conference for the second year in a row. Our session, “Building Bright Futures: Early Childhood Education Apprenticeships in NC,” provided an overview of the ECE apprenticeship structure in North Carolina, a program update on Building Bright Futures, and details on BBF’s technical assistance, resources, and financial support for registered apprentices, pre-apprentices, and employers.

In addition to a program update and review, several BBF participants spoke to their experiences as apprenticeship employers and apprentices and shared how they have implemented apprenticeship into their program. Lindsey Edwards with Polk County Schools provided a video summary of the unique child care situation in Polk County, where there are currently no child care centers. Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship are being used as critical tools for building up an ECE workforce in anticipation of new centers opening.

Charlotte Bilingual Preschool from Charlotte, NC, has sponsored their own apprenticeship program for some time. They have a cohort system for their apprentices to ensure a supportive framework for program success. A Safe Place in Raleigh, NC also serves as an apprenticeship sponsor and currently has one apprentice in each classroom, with the goal of continuing education for its staff. Latino Educational Achievement Partnership (LEAP) in Durham, NC is a recent employer under Durham NC Pre-K’s agreement, the largest sponsored agreement in the state. Each of these BBF participants are utilizing BBF resources and financial support, including mentor stipends, 50% wage match reimbursement stipend, wraparound services, and free professional development through BBF-hosted events.

There has been a lot of momentum around ECE apprenticeships since our first presentation at the 2023 Smart Start Conference. Following that presentation, we signed our very first participant and pre-apprentice with Surry-Yadkin Works. Since then, BBF has grown to support 302 apprentices and pre-apprentices and 163 organizations across 58 NC counties – and that number continues to grow!  

Thank you to our fellow presenters, attendees, and The North Carolina Partnership for Children for an engaging conference and session! Let’s continue the good work of exchanging ideas and improving the lives of children, families, and early childhood educators.