Early Education Workforce Liaison
Strengthening the early childhood workforce by aligning across Massachusetts’ community colleges
Why This Matters
A strong early childhood workforce is essential to high-quality care and learning. Yet programs across Massachusetts face persistent workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention, compensation, and access to professional development.
To meet these challenges, educators must have access to consistent, high-quality training and clear career pathways, regardless of modality, location, or language. Achieving this level of quality and equity requires intentional alignment of training goals, information, and resources across institutions and agencies. Coordinated collaboration is essential to ensure every current and future educator is fully prepared with consistent, high-quality, and equitable support.
How We’re Driving Change
The MA ECFC supported a statewide partnership to strengthen early childhood career pathways by aligning Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) across Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges. Key partners included the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC), and faculty, advisors, and leaders from all community colleges.
With MA ECFC support, EEC and MACC established a one-year EEC Workforce Liaison role to coordinate this work. Partners convened regularly to examine existing CPL practices, accreditation requirements, and educator credentialing goals. The collaboration focused on aligning CPL to for Introduction to Early Childhood Education, a required course with statewide learning outcomes, to ensure quality, consistency, and equity across institutions.
Timeline and Scale
This one-year project was launched in December 2022.
What Happened
Actions
- Convened a statewide working group representing all 15 community colleges
- Conducted a scan of CPL policies and ECE course offerings
- Built consensus around eligibility criteria and assessment approaches
- Coordinated closely with EEC to align with statewide workforce goals
Outcomes
- Reached statewide agreement to pursue aligned CPL for Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- Identified shared parameters for prior learning assessment, including use of portfolios and challenge exams
- Strengthened collaboration and trust across colleges
- Reduced barriers for experienced educators to advance along degree pathways
Current Status and What’s Next
Status: Workforce Liaison completed; Continuing partnership between EEC and MACC
Next steps include supporting colleges as they implement aligned CPL, exploring expansion to additional ECE courses, and continuing alignment with EEC’s educator credentialing system. Together, partners are positioned to move from planning to sustained, system-level impact.
Why This Matters
A strong early childhood workforce is essential to high-quality care and learning. Yet programs across Massachusetts face persistent workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention, compensation, and access to professional development.
To meet these challenges, educators must have access to consistent, high-quality training and clear career pathways, regardless of modality, location, or language. Achieving this level of quality and equity requires intentional alignment of training goals, information, and resources across institutions and agencies. Coordinated collaboration is essential to ensure every current and future educator is fully prepared with consistent, high-quality, and equitable support.
How We Drove Change
The MA ECFC supported a statewide partnership to strengthen early childhood career pathways by aligning Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) across Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges. Key partners included the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC), and faculty, advisors, and leaders from all community colleges.
With MA ECFC support, EEC and MACC established a one-year EEC Workforce Liaison role to coordinate this work. Partners convened regularly to examine existing CPL practices, accreditation requirements, and educator credentialing goals. The collaboration focused on aligning CPL to for Introduction to Early Childhood Education, a required course with statewide learning outcomes, to ensure quality, consistency, and equity across institutions.
Timeline and Scale
This one-year project was launched in December 2022.
What Happened
Actions
- Convened a statewide working group representing all 15 community colleges
- Conducted a scan of CPL policies and ECE course offerings
- Built consensus around eligibility criteria and assessment approaches
- Coordinated closely with EEC to align with statewide workforce goals
Outcomes
- Reached statewide agreement to pursue aligned CPL for Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- Identified shared parameters for prior learning assessment, including use of portfolios and challenge exams
- Strengthened collaboration and trust across colleges
- Reduced barriers for experienced educators to advance along degree pathways
Current Status and What's Next
Status: Workforce Liaison completed; Continuing partnership between EEC and MACC
Partners are positioned to move from planning to sustained, system-level impact. Next steps include supporting colleges as they implement aligned CPL, exploring expansion to additional ECE courses, and continuing alignment with EEC’s educator credentialing system.
