Workforce Programs
Earn paid experience & credentials in early childhood education, IT, and other fields.
In collaboration with Community Education Network, our paid apprenticeship programs include workshops that build professional development and employability skills, as well as provide wrap-around services for participants in need of additional support.
Through ITAV Workforce Programs, individuals earn state and nationally recognized certifications and credentials in careers such as early childhood development where they are exposed to additional industry-related professions. ITAV Workforce Programs also seek to expose individuals of color to professions where there is a critical need for diversity in providers.
Early Childhood Workforce Program
Learn more about our early childhood education pathway
Participant Requirements
Earned Credentials
Additional Support
ITAV Pel Program
ITAV Pel Prep Course
It Takes A Village Family of Schools offers a PEL prep course to help support teachers with strategic test taking strategies as they progress towards passing the Content Test 206 exam.
Early Childhood Workforce Sessions
Summer Pre-Apprenticeship
Early childhood workforce apprentices ages 16 to 24 gain work experience through our 13-week program (90 days of subsidized pay) in one of the ITAV family of schools or one of our Early Childhood Workforce Partner Sites (Locations: Downtown, Loop, South, East and West sides of Chicago). Apprentices also gain certifications in First aid, CPR, and Food Handlers as well as the ECE Level 1 credential via Illinois Gateways to Opportunities.
Early Childhood Workforce Sessions
CDA Apprenticeship
Child Development Associate apprentices work in our year-long (270 days of subsidized pay) program towards the Nationally recognized CDA Credential (only available to those who are 18 and older and have a high school diploma or GED (not offered in the Summer Pre-Apprenticeship). Apprentices gain work experience in one of the ITAV family of schools or one of our Early Childhood Workforce Partner Sites (Locations: Downtown, Loop, South, East and West sides of Chicago). They also gain certifications in First aid, CPR, and Food Handlers as well as the ECE Level 1 credential via Illinois Gateways to opportunities.
Youth Workforce Programs
Information Technology (IT)
Youth ages 16 to 24 enrolled in the IT workforce training program will be set up for success to gain employment in IT help desk roles and more. Through our partnership with Urban Tech Academy, youth workers graduate from our program with a Cisco certification preparing them not only for employment in IT, but with knowledge in related fields such as robotics and web development.
Youth Workforce Programs
Other Areas
During the summer, ITAV hosts youth workers in a variety of fields including camp counseling, community organizing, media marketing, & more. In addition to paid part-time work and resume-building experience, youth workers ages 16 to 24 enrolled in our program also receive wrap-around services, career readiness training, and mentorship through weekly classes and one on one opportunities with program advisors.
Meet Our Program Leaders
Darrell Brown
Director of Workforce Programs
Learn more
Darrell Brown
Darrell Brown, B.S., a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Public Health degree, started his career in Early Childhood Education as a summer worker at a child care center out of Governor’s State University at the age of 16. Since then, he has worked as an infant-toddler teacher, pre-K teacher, Site Coordinator for a Before and After School program for youth ages 5-12, as well as a curriculum and instruction teacher coach for Early Head Start. During his time working with Early Head Start, he gained experience working with environment rating scales, became certified as an Infant and Toddler CLASS observer, and served as a trainer. As a trainer, he developed many of his own training in topics around School Age Programming, Language development for infants and toddlers, and how to use Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold. His experiences lead him to work on a teacher practice research project called “CONSTRUCT Coaching” with Educare out of Phoenix Arizona. Since being with ITAV, Darrell has had the pleasure of training the Education coordinators in CONSTRUCT Coaching, bringing a common language to all teaching staff at ITAV. In Darrell’s free time, he loves to travel, dance, act, sing, and perform in local theater projects.
Makeya Kelly
Manager of Workforce Programs
Makeya Kelly
Makeya Kelly went to school for Elementary Education and started at It Takes A Village in 2015 as a Teaching Assistant. She is currently working toward getting her Professional Educators License in Early Childhood.
John Roberson
Counselor of Workforce Programs
John Roberson
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