Through its Early Care and Education Workforce Initiative (WFI), LAUP oversees seven grants to collaborative teams of community colleges, universities, and feeder high schools who are implementing innovative projects to excite and promote entry into the field of early care and education. Projects and programs recruit, train, advance and support program participants on the pathway to becoming early care and education professionals.

Workforce Initiative (WFI)

• FORGING COLLABORATIONS among institutions of higher education
• REMOVING BARRIERS to academic success and professional growth
• CREATING PATHWAYS to degree completion and increased staff quality

Objectives of the WFI

• Increase the numbers of high school students pursuing careers in ECE
• Decrease the rates of attrition among child development students in institutions of higher education
• Create systems that will ease and improve the transition from community colleges to 4-year colleges or universities
• Increase graduation rates of early childhood students at community colleges and 4-year colleges or universities
• Expand the supply of ECE professionals who are younger and more culturally and linguistically diverse than the current workforce

For More Information: Please click here for contact information for all LAUP funded WFI Projects listed below.

• Cal Poly Pomona: Early Educator Recruitment Program (CPPEER)
• Santa Monica College: Early Start Pathway (ESP) for Early Childhood Education
• East Los Angeles College: Project Links
• Pierce College: Pathways in Early Childhood Education (PECE)
• Long Beach City College: Recruit, Inspire, Support, Educate (RISE)
• Los Angeles Valley College: Career and Academic Success Team (CAST)
• Los Angeles City College: AA2BA Program