From April 26-May 2, organizations across the country are recognizing the power of apprenticeships. CCV is proudly celebrating National Apprenticeship Week alongside the many partners who join us in connecting education to high-demand career opportunities across Vermont.
As a junior at Southwest Tech, Jenn Coonradt was working at a local bagel shop when she heard about a unique program: the Vermont Early Childhood Education Youth Apprenticeship. This was a chance for the Human Services student to explore her interest in teaching, and she’d also be able to earn free, transferable college credits and get valuable work experience with a local employer.
Through the apprenticeship, Jenn had a position at Bennington’s Growing Up Right, and that’s where she fell in love with pre-K teaching. “Just walking in, and you hear all the kids yelling ‘Miss Jenn!’…that’s when I knew that’s what I wanted to do. You walk in here and they just make you feel happy.”
The Youth Apprenticeship program is offered by the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC), a leader in efforts to strengthen Vermont’s early childhood workforce. In partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor, the apprenticeship pairs students with mentors and combines on-the-job training with college courses and community-based trainings.
Jenn knew she wanted to continue her education after the apprenticeship, and she was able to braid together multiple funding sources to attend college for free. After graduating from Southwest Tech, she utilized the 802 Opportunity program to take advantage of free tuition at CCV, where she completed her associate degree in early childhood education. She’s now just days away from graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Vermont State University, where she utilized another VTAEYC program—the TEACH scholarship—for full tuition support.
For Jenn, transferring from CCV to VTSU “was really smooth. They have a really clear pathway so you can be done in time, and it was so easy.” As she prepares for graduation, she’s thinking about her goals for the future, including applying for her teaching license and possibly pursuing a directorship.
She’s enjoyed applying her education to her budding career. “As I learn these different things in my courses over the years I’ve been able to bring little pieces in…being able to take what I’ve learned and give it back to the classroom or the kids is what’s most important to me.”
Jenn is also giving back in another special way: she’s been serving as a mentor to a current Youth Apprentice. “It’s really a full-circle moment, from being an apprentice to now being a mentor to an apprentice. I’m still learning, but it’s been fun to be able to help them and answer their questions and be an influence to them to hopefully come to early childhood education.”
