North Carolina is among six states selected to receive grants and technical support to identify opportunities to improve their Early Care and Education (ECE) workforces, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) announced this week. The $12,500 grants are being distributed by the NGA in partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and will go to Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, and North Carolina.
“For decades, North Carolina has been a leader in early childhood education and I am proud our effort has been recognized with this support. We will continue working to ensure that every child is given the education and skills they need to find a good job and lead a successful life,” said Governor Cooper.
The grants and support are the result of an NGA and CCSSO project aimed at improving the workforce educating and caring for young children across the nation. The NGA and CCSSO will provide technical assistance and grants to develop policy and carry out action plans focused on improving their Early Care and Education Workforce.
Workforce development has been a point of emphasis for the Cooper Administration. In February, Governor Cooper launched NC Job Ready, an initiative laying out key priorities to improve workforce training and readiness to prepare North Carolinians for higher paying jobs. A key component of the plan is making North Carolina a Top Ten Educated State and recruiting and retaining quality educators at every level.
In applying for this grant, Governor Cooper noted that low pay remains a challenge in recruiting and retaining the highly skilled early childhood educators we need across the state to ensure young children are ready for success in school. As part of the project, North Carolina will work to identify opportunities and strategies for addressing the compensation and well-being of early educators and care providers.
“Providing our students with the workforce skills necessary to compete for good jobs has been one of my top priorities as Governor. To give children the best chance at success, we must ensure that they receive a quality education early in life,” said Governor Cooper.
Support for the grant comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Alliance for Early Success, the Foundation for Child Development and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The project will be implemented by a state team, with representatives from the governor’s office and several state agencies, including Health and Human Services and Commerce, and other invited partners.
To learn more about NGA’s Education Division, click here.
To learn more about CCSSO, click here.