(a) The president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities shall, within available appropriations, expand the capacity of programs for training early childhood education teachers through the development of accelerated, alternate route programs to initial teacher certification with an endorsement in early childhood education.

(b) The president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, in consultation with the Department of Education, Labor Department, Office of Workforce Strategy, Office of Early Childhood, Department of Social Services, Charter Oak State College, early childhood education faculty at two and four-year public and independent institutions of higher education, early childhood education professional associations, early childhood education advocates and practitioners, and persons knowledgeable in the area of career development and programs in early childhood care and education, shall define the preservice and minimum training requirements and competencies for persons involved in early childhood education, from birth to five years of age, including requirements for individual levels of early childhood credentialing and licensing.