Area 6: Quality Workforce Development
Quality Workforce Development and Supports
Hawaiʻi’s early care and education programs are dependent on a sufficient, reliable, qualified, and adequately compensated early childhood workforce. This plan outlines strategies to better understand and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s early childhood workforce. It includes positioning our state to act on recommendations from Power to the Profession’s Unifying Framework for the Early Child Education Profession to improve the preparation, associated competencies and appropriate career pathways, compensation, shared infrastructure, and accountability of our early childhood workforce.
Key Priorities for Collective Action
Ensure that education, licensure, and professional development programs lead to a well-prepared, highly-qualified workforce with the child development knowledge and skills most needed by early childhood educators and program administrators (including center administrators and school principals). (BB4 B, drawn from the Hawaiʻi Early Childhood State Plan, 2019-2024)
Introduce policies, programs, and coordinated incentives to address the barriers to recruitment and retention of a well-prepared early childhood workforce. (BB4 C, drawn from the Hawaiʻi Early Childhood State Plan, 2019-2024)
Objective 1
Clarify and improve alignment of early care and education career pathways from high school to continued education. (BB4 ii, modified)
Champions
Executive Office on Early Learning
Hawaiʻi Association for the Education of Young Children
Kaulanakilohana
Actions
Needs Assessment
Conduct a needs assessment to identify career and education needs in Hawaiʻiʻs early childhood education field
Pathways
Develop comprehensive career pathways in alignment with validated employer requirements, professional standards and competencies, and communicate visually in a map of career pathways
Create a website access career pathways and map
Create a system that provides incentives for early care and education workforce to pursue continuing education opportunities
Preparation
Utilize Hawaiʻi’s framework for early care and education practitioners and establish a system of credentialing
Create more early care and education professional learning opportunities across the state
Indicators of Success
Crosswalk of employment requirements is completed and distributed
Clearly defined pathways exist for all public and private settings
Long-term: Number of qualified applicants has increased
Long-term: Recruitment and retention rates have increased
Long-term: State policy changes are enacted to support alignment with National Professional Standards and Qualifications
Objective 2
Finalize a shared trainer and training registry system that ensures best practices in professional development offerings, and ensures a wide array of public and private sector professional development opportunities are available statewide. (BB4 iii)
Champions
Hawaiʻi Careers for Young Children
Kaulanakilohana
Actions
Develop a capacity building plan for needed trainers and higher education faculty positions
Create a system of mentoring and coaching embedded in coursework and in the field
Review, revise, and expand a database and clearinghouse of trainings (credit and non-credit)
Establish a trainer approval system
Create community-based hubs with support services and professional opportunities
Indicators of Success
Database of trainers and clearinghouse of trainings are accessible via a website
Long-term: A wide array of public and private sector professional development opportunities is available statewide
Objective 3
Implement an outreach and engagement plan to involve cross-sector leaders and champions in advocating for policies, practices, and incentives that increase compensation and support for the early childhood workforce. (BB4 vi)
Champions
Early Childhood Action Strategy
Executive Office on Early Learning
Actions
Public Policy
Develop policy agenda and implement policy changes to support early care and education workforce around a mixed delivery system
Compensation
Strengthen and increase compensation packages and benefits for the early care and education workforce
Public Will
Increase public awareness and education about the significance and importance of high-quality early care and education and the need for more early care and education professionals through a targeted recruitment campaign
Indicators of Success
1-2 business partners are engaged in public awareness and education campaign
Long-term: Mechanisms for incentives that increase compensation for early care and education workforce are established
Long-term: Higher retention of the early care and education workforce exists
Needs Assessment Summary
Size and Composition
2004-2019
97% female
2018 workforce size: 4,260; pre-Great Recession peak was 5,550; the greatest workforce loss was among preschool teachers and administrators
Based on number of working parents, 9,000 providers required
2020
No significant change to size and composition from 2004-2019
Recommendations
Determine the number of workers required for a strong workforce
Identify workforce recruitment supports for underserved communities
Access how workforce capacity impacts size and composition of quality early care and education programs
Compensation
2004-2019
Low pay commonly cited for teacher shortage; median annual income: child care workers, $26,090; preschool teachers, $38,840; administrators, $54,210 (self-sufficiency for one adult with a preschool aged child is $56,000/yr.)
2020
Families want a workforce that is passionate about educating young children, academically and socially
Single greatest challenge to workforce development is lack of competitive compensation and benefits to attract and retain well-qualified workforce
Recommendations
Advocate for minimum wage increase which correlates to improved compensation in this workforce
Education and Professional Development
2004-2019
58% of center-based lead teachers have four-year degree or higher; 67% have either a two-year or four-year degree in early childhood
25% of family child care providers have no college experience
Eight early childhood education higher education programs in Hawaiʻi; degree costs $14,000-$20,000+/yr.
2020
Lack of alignment among workforce preparation standards
Statewide investment in preparation programs has not been significant, including financial support for students; additionally, the training pipeline for positions that provide specialized services is insufficient
Educational pathway is fragmented and unavailable statewide
Recommendations
Align and update to national standards and competencies for early childhood educators
Update minimum educational standards for early care and education positions
Develop coherent and comprehensive career pathways for educators delivering quality early care and education services
Additional Information
Resources for Quality Workforce Development and Supports
Placeholder space for Individual SIP revisions (coming soon)