A Texas Workforce Commission grant for businesses is now being offered to early learning centers to help employees enhance their training at Odessa College.
Business and Industry Sales Coordinator Kristi Pruitt said the grant has never been offered to early learning centers until recently. The grant is known as the Skills for Small Business Grant, or SSB. The grant funds can be used for continuing education or credit courses.
“With that being said, it’s ongoing until they tell us to stop. The grant is now available to the early learning centers. This is why it’s so vital for us to be able to get the information out to them because, for example, the trainings that they are required to have we can offer those and those can be covered through this grant. It’s a very simple application, I walk them through every step of it. Within two weeks, they usually have the information back from TWC for approval, or if they need more information,” Pruitt said.
If they are full-time employees that meet the prevailing wage and have been on staff 12 months or less, they are eligible for $1,800 worth of training and $900 if they have been there for 12 months or more.
Montessori School of Odessa Program Director Valerie Diaz said she was pointed to Odessa College and Pruitt right away when she asked who she could partner with. Pruitt walked her through filling out the application.
Diaz presented it to her employees to see who would be interested in going back to school to earn an associate degree in child development or continuing their education to learn more about how to care for their young charges.
At first, only two employees expressed interest, but now all seven of her full-time staff want to take advantage.
“They’re already enrolled at OC, taking the steps necessary to start college courses to further their education,” Diaz said.
Pruitt said some of the funding could be used for continuing education courses, but she thinks there will be more that want to work toward a child development associate degree.
“Many of the childcare services are requiring their employees to have that,” Pruitt said.
Diaz said it is an incentive that tells employees that she wants to invest in them.
“That’s the first thing I asked as part of my interview process is are you willing to go to school, are you willing to go back to school to further your education because that is something we’re going to push here at our center to help us …,” Diaz said.
“I told them I believe in them to where I have given them raises this year. … If they do complete their CDA, if they do continue taking classes at OC, more money is going to be in their pocket. That is something that I’m going to offer these ladies. I have to look at where that money’s going to come from, so I talk to the parents and let them know … this is not just another childcare center. You’re not just going to drop your child off and they’ll be well taken care of. We’re going to be teaching these children the skills they need to enter kindergarten. We’re just taking these baby steps. So many children are coming now with not knowing how to speak about their emotions; not knowing how to just even play with other children. We’re talking about basic things, much less showing them their ABCs, their 1, 2, 3’s. Yes, that’s part of it. But we need to train our ladies because these young ones need a lot of help so we need to help in return,” Diaz said.
She added that these children have been home for such a long period due to COVID and now they’re coming to the childcare center and they don’t know how to handle certain situations.
“If it’s just a group of 10 kids together, it’s overwhelming for children,” Diaz said.
Pruitt said they are looking for childcare centers that can be part of the advisory board and share their needs so training sessions can be developed.
“Our early learning centers, they’re holding our future,” Pruitt said.
There will be a training called “Play is at the Heart of Learning” from 8;30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 15 at Gregory D. Williams Hall at Odessa College. The cost is $50 and Melissa Willamson will be the instructor. Those who are interested can call Pruitt at 432-335-6816 or email her at [email protected].
