BRISTOL — Whitney Rougier of North Ferrisburgh recently completed the Vermont Child Care Apprenticeship Program.During her two-year apprenticeship at the Bristol Family Center, Rougierwas supported by her mentor, Sarah Rougier.
The Child Care Apprenticeship Program combines on-the-job mentoring with formal classroom instruction in the field of early childhood education. Whitney Rougier documented over 4,000 hours of supervised work on the job; completed a sequence of six college courses; and attended over 30 hours of training designed to broaden her knowledge and skills in the field. The Vermont Department of Labor issued her a certificate of completion in the trade of child care development specialist.
The Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council (VCCICC) is a nonprofit organization that runs the Registered Child Care Apprenticeship Program in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor and area child care employers. VCCICC contracts the college courses through the Community College of Vermont, with grant funding from the Vermont Child Development Division as well as private donations.