Field experience is one way through which early educators can gain key competencies, but few states include experience as a qualification for career advancement. This National ECE Workforce Center research-to-practice brief identifies two promising approaches for how ECE systems leaders can incorporate experience, in addition to professional development and education, into career pathways.
Incorporating Early Educators’ Experience Into Career Pathways
Related Key Topics
Compensation & Financial Relief Strategies
Investments and initiatives to ensure compensation equal to that of a skilled professional, accounting for an educator’s qualifications, expertise, and experience
Financial Resources
Public and private investment in the ECE workforce and broader ECE system
Qualifications & Educational Support
Policies and pathways that strengthen career pathways and access to degrees and credentials and provide consistent standards for educators to achieve higher education
Work Environment Standards
Standards for providing safe, supportive work environments for early educators
Workforce Data
State-level collection of data on the size, characteristics, and working conditions of the ECE workforce