Harford Community College Awarded Maryland Department of Labor Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant to Expand Child Care Apprenticeships Statewide

As a part of the $5 million awarded through the Maryland Department of Labor’s Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator, Harford Community College has been awarded a $872,469 grant to scale up the Registered Child Care Apprenticeship into a comprehensive, statewide workforce solution. The goal of the program is to address Maryland’s critical shortage of qualified early childhood educators while increasing access to high-quality, earn-and-learn career pathways.

Governor Wes Moore announced the Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator program on Thursday, July 30. The program is expected to recruit nearly 150 employers and add more than 650 apprentices in occupations critical to Maryland’s economic growth. 

“To win the fights of tomorrow, we are building pathways to work, wages and wealth today by expanding access to apprenticeship opportunities,” said Gov. Moore. “We are investing in and implementing innovative strategies to meet high growth industries demand, all while expanding our economy, supporting our communities, and strengthening Maryland’s skilled workforce to leave no one behind.”

Harford Community College’s Registered Child Care Apprenticeship Program plans to address the statewide child care shortage affecting Maryland families. More than half of Maryland families live in communities that contain either no child care providers at all, or more than three children for every licensed child care slot. To address this need, Harford will expand its Child Care Apprenticeship Program into a coordinated statewide network serving at least 20 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

Depending on age group ratios, each early childhood educator licensed through the apprenticeship will create approximately 8-10 new child care slots in counties across the state. With the goal of 40 licensed educators by the end of the grant and 180 new apprentices, this program will create hundreds of new child care slots across all Maryland counties. 

“Harford Community College is honored to be selected as a recipient for the Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator," said Dr. Theresa B. Felder, President of Harford Community College. “This investment will help advance a statewide solution to the critical shortage of early childhood educators while expanding equitable, high-quality career pathways for Maryland residents.”

The program combines 3,000 hours of structured on-the-job learning with 258 hours of related technical instruction aligned with state licensing requirements and the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Instruction will largely be provided through online classes, with two classes offered in person. Apprentices earn progressive wage increases and can articulate the apprenticeship to 21 credits toward an Early Childhood Education degree, creating a clear pathway for career advancement.

Spanish-language track training will begin in FY2028 and will include bilingual instruction and a dedicated support hub. This initiative will improve access to career pathways for Spanish-speaking Marylanders while increasing the availability of culturally-responsive child care.

For more information about the Registered Child Care Apprenticeship program, contact Laura Hutton, Apprenticeship Coordinator, at lhutton@harford.edu or 443-412-2093.