Ivy Tech Evansville launches Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship program
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In an effort to address a growing need for early childhood education in Dubois County, Ivy Tech Community College Evansville is launching a new apprenticeship program in Jasper.
The Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship program is designed to provide individuals with an accelerated pathway to a career in education through a series of credentials and certifications.
“Industry partners [in] different areas of workforce development have identified a need for more quality child care offerings in Dubois County,” said Andrea Boberg, associated professor and program chair of early childhood education at Ivy Tech Evansville. “There’s not enough to go around.”
The Jasper program builds on a similar apprenticeship that Ivy Tech recently launched with Carver Community Organization in Evansville.
Participants will be required to complete 2,000 hours of working in the field, making the program ideal for individuals who are already working in the child care field but don’t have certain credentials. However, Boberg said if someone does not currently work in the field, the college will help connect them with an employer.
Students will take two classes at Tri-Cap in Jasper over an eight-week period in addition to their mentored practice in the field.
Through the program, participants will earn a Classroom Support Specialist micro-credential; Childhood Development Associate certification; Early Childhood Certificate from Ivy Tech, which can be used to further pursue an associate’s degree; and a U.S. Department of Labor Journeyperson certificate.
Boberg said launching the program in Jasper fits perfectly with Ivy Tech’s mission of serving the communities in which it is located.
“We need to step up and do our best to help fulfill the need,” she said. “And hopefully programs such as this will bring people to the surface that are interested in working with young children.”
Participants may also qualify for the TEACH Early Childhood Indiana scholarship to help with tuition and textbook costs, Boberg said.
“There’s lots of opportunities…for this to be funded so that the person won’t incur any college debt,” she said. “And there’s other pathways that we can connect them with, because the last thing we want them to do is have to take out student loans to cover this.”
While the program is still in its infancy in Dubois County, Boberg said the potential for expanding it into other Indiana communities is huge.
Ivy Tech said a version of the program designed for high school students is also expected to launch, providing training during the school day during the 2026-27 academic year.
“[We’re] trying to catch people when they’re young, and if they’re thinking about being a teacher, this is a great way to give them college credits and also give them work experience in the field,” Boberg said.
You can learn more about the Early Childhood Educator Apprenticeship program by clicking here.