Early Educator Apprenticeships in Public High Schools: Year 1 Report of an ECEPTS Youth Apprenticeship

Early Care and Education (ECE) apprenticeships have been an increasingly utilized approach to addressing the ever-growing shortage of early educators across the United States. In Oakland, California, the Oakland Unified School District launched the Oaktown Leaders Youth Apprenticeship (OTL) program in fall 2023 to recruit and train the next generation of ECE workers. Sponsored by Early Care & Education Pathways to Success, OTL is designed to introduce high school students to careers in ECE, while growing the school district’s future workforce from within its own community. This report evaluates the program’s first year, highlighting its design, implementation, success factors, and lessons learned.