This paper looks at the potential of the Pennsylvania Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Program to: 1. Build partnerships between early learning programs, training organizations and higher education programs to better prepare early educators, especially strengthening infant, toddler and preschool course content and field experiences 2. Develop strategies that address concerns about whether a degree requirement for lead teachers will exacerbate the racial, class and linguistic inequities and stratification that already characterize the early education workforce 3. Advocate for funding and policy changes that will be needed to address inequities in compensation, job quality, and access to and preparation for college success and support retention of degreed teachers in child care and Head Start Settings 4. Adapt the registered apprenticeship framework to fit the current realities of child care employers and staff, ensure high quality on the job learning, accelerate degree completion for incumbent teachers, and sustain the program over time. The content of this paper reflects the first year of the project, which began with an early commitment from the Community College of Philadelphia to collaborate in the design of a higher education model for early childhood apprenticeships. The project has since expanded to nearby Chester and Delaware counties in partnership with Delaware County Community College. (author abstract)