Vermont Child Care Apprenticeship Program
News

December 1, 2004: Northern Lights Career Development Center Announcement

The Child Development Division is pleased to announce the award of a contract to implement the Northern Lights Career Development Center to a partnership between Community College of Vermont (CCV) and the Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council, Inc. (VCCICC).  CCV and VCCICC have collaborated to design and deliver coursework for participants in the child
care apprenticeship program, and will further develop this collaboration as they complete the design and begin to implement the career development center.

The VCCICC and CCV are excited about being awarded the Northern Lights Career Development Center contract.  As we continue to develop our plans and our work we hope to collaborate, coordinate and communicate with the entire child care and education community.

Our first point of order is to hire a full time Director of Northern Lights.  This is an open search process and will involve a team on the hiring committee.

For your review we have attached both the Abstract of our grant application and a job description for the Director position.  We will be developing a newspaper advertisement and more information about this position shortly.

Thank you and if you have any questions please contact us

Sue Ryan, Program Coordinator
Child Care Apprenticeship Program
Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council, Inc.
(802) 660-2914
sue@vtchildcareindustry.org

Project Abstract

A professional development system for early childhood educators will be increasingly important for the State of Vermont.  Research has found that teachers of young children need quality and accessible education and training.  This proposal is offered by the partnership of the Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council (VCCICC) and the Community College of Vermont (CCV) for the purpose of building a comprehensive professional development system for practitioners in early childhood education in the State of Vermont.  Goals include: strengthening and aligning curriculum and instruction, providing individuals and agencies easy access to training and education at all levels, developing highly qualified instructors, and tracking professional development accomplishments of early educators.  Benefits of funding this proposal include: an articulated seven-level system of professional development, increased numbers of students pursuing education at all levels, enhanced access to career advising and information, a database of qualified instructors, new credentials in early childhood education, and the ability to track an individual’s professional development.  Ultimately, bringing diverse organizations and initiatives together will result in a unified and comprehensive professional development system that will benefit children and the future of Vermont.

Job Descriptions of Key Staff

Director, Career Development Center (CDC)

Basic Function:

The Director of the Career Development Center will direct a statewide professional development program for early childhood educators. The CDC Director will coordinate with agencies, child care experts, an advisory board, and higher education partners to build and implement a comprehensive and unified professional development and credentialing system.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership for creating the system of professional development and carrying out the work plan for the project.
• Collaborate with the Advisory Board to develop policies and guidelines for instructor qualifications and development.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a system to provide professional development and new credentials in the field.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community agencies, higher education institutes, state and federal agencies, businesses and business agencies.
• Attend meetings outside of VCCICC, Inc. such as the Professional Preparation and Development Committee of the Early Childhood Workgroup, CCSD, CCV, et al.
• Assess local and regional educational needs; prepare training proposals; develop curricula to address those needs, plan in-house training for local employers and providers; plan non-credit offerings.
• Design curricula and instructional methods that align with best practices and industry standards in early childhood education.
• Develop and implement programs in cooperation with other educational and community service agencies; maintain contacts in the community.
• Recruit, orient, and provide ongoing training and support to community instructors; confer with instructors on matters related to workshop and course descriptions, learning objectives and competencies; instructional materials and methods, the special needs of adult learners.
• Monitor instructor progress through classroom observations and written evaluations and convey results to instructors.
• Plan and conduct staff meetings and confer regularly with the Associate Academic Dean at CCV to coordinate and evaluate programs/services, exchange information, and to explain and interpret policies.
• Recruit and advise prospective participants and students; assess goals and academic preparedness to establish and recommend sound training and course selections; coordinate referrals to other services available for students with learning challenges.
• Participate in efforts to promote the use of the career and advising guide and complimentary website.
• Coordinate the collection and maintenance of student information to be entered into the database and credentialing system and prepare reports as required.
• Develop quality assurance and auditing systems for the professional development database systems.
• Assist in the development of future grant applications.
• Keep abreast of developments and trends in the teaching profession and adult development.

Supervision Received:

Direction is received from the VCCICC Board and the CCV Associate Academic Dean.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s degree in an appropriate discipline with a high level of administrative and outreach experience is desirable, plus four to six years of experience in program planning and administration, or a combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills are acquired.

• Skilled as a self-starter
• Strong planning, organizational and administrative skills
• Strong writing, speaking, technological, and problem-solving skills
• Good general advising/counseling skills
• Ability to deal effectively and collaboratively with agencies, instructors, and students
• Prior marketing, website development, and public speaking experience are helpful

Vermont Child Care Industry & Careers Council. All rights reserved.
Revised: 9/25/07