Preparing Futures in Childcare: Early Education Career Institute Trains Apprentices

INDIANAPOLIS — Silvia Aguilar, a former apprentice at the Early Education Career Institute (EECI), teaches four and five-year-olds at A Child’s World. She credits EECI with preparing her for success.

EECI specializes in training students to pass the Child Development Associate (CDA) exam. Since its inception, the institute has set over 150 apprentices up for success and created over 120 childcare slots.

“I feel like it has opened a lot of doors for me actually. I didn’t know if I wanted to go to college and now I am going to college," Aguilar said.

Kristel Ramirez, another EECI alumnus, also works at A Child’s World. She teaches three-year-old students their ABCs, 123s, fine motor skills, and more.

“Sometimes you can have a really bad day, and you can just come in here and walk into the room, and the kids just shout your name. They come to you running," she said.

EECI apprentices receive valuable support, including transportation, housing, and childcare through the program. Each apprentice was granted $3425 from the DWD Work Readiness Grant for tuition, and many also received $2800 from the National Apprentice Fund.

“Hopefully, in the future we can get more funding so other people can get the opportunity like we did," Ramirez said.