10 Tips for Building an Educator Apprenticeship Program

Recently, I attended a National Convening on Registered Apprenticeships in Teaching hosted by NASDTEC and the National Center for Grow Your Own at the end of January in San Antonio, Texas. Here, over 250 participants, national teacher preparation organizations, State officials, local education agencies, universities and non-profits convened to discuss the new and complex landscape of educator apprenticeships. These programs serve to mend our current reality: in the US, there is a teacher shortage. According to the Learning Policy Institute, it is estimated that 10% of teaching positions are currently unfilled or are filled by someone who does not have the requisite certification (Franco, M., & Patrick, S. K., 2023). Educator apprenticeships have been recently approved (since 2022) and encouraged Federally and by a growing number of States to provide a viable pathway for adults to earn while they learn; to participate in both hands-on training and related coursework; and to have supports and guidance to navigate the complexities of teacher certification which varies by state.

State by state, programs are being approved, funding is identified and teacher candidates are being given access to the profession through the age old idea of apprenticeship. While this is a relatively new way to train K-12 educators (early childhood educator apprenticeships have existed for years), those just beginning can look to the many newly established programs and federal and state guidance to determine the steps to establish a program. However, before you move on, consider my top 10 tips gathered from my own participation in various networks, professional development and in developing an apprenticeship program with a partner district in Connecticut. Before you start:

1. Know your state's rules: To register an apprenticeship you either apply to the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) run by the Federal Department of Labor or, if it exists, your State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA). Use this resource from apprenticeship.gov to determine how your state is classified. If your state is an SAA, they may have to approve of educator apprenticeships first. Many other types of apprenticeships exist and are handled by the SAA, however, new apprenticeship occupations such as teacher may need to be approved and the rules governing those apprenticeships need to be established. As is the case in Connecticut, this involves multiple stakeholders such as state departments of education, teacher's unions, department of labor, etc. Once established, subsequent programs would apply to be registered using the guidelines from the SAA. On the Federal level, the first educator apprenticeship was approved in 2022. For programs that operate in an OA state, they would apply directly to the US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship.

2. Understand the language of apprenticeships:

In education, we love our vernacular and acronyms. Similarly, there are specific terms associated with apprenticeships. A registered apprenticeship program or "RAP" involves hands-on experience where candidates earn while they learn. A "RAPT" is a RAP for Teachers. The local education agency (LEA) overseeing the school where they will practice will be considered the "employer." Apprentices will also have to take coursework that complements the hands-on experience. Depending on the state, it will likely have to be with an approved educator preparation provider or EPP. The entity that provides the coursework is called a "related instruction provider." The teacher candidate is called an " apprentice." Apprentices work directly with an experienced and qualified mentor or "journeyman/journey-person." These individuals model, provide guidance, direction, give feedback and may be primarily responsible for indicating whether the apprentice is satisfactorily meeting the requirements.

Besides the employer and the related instruction provider, apprenticeships also have a "sponsor." Sponsor's take responsibility for setting up apprenticeship programs, compliance of the program(s), maintaining records and taking fiscal responsibility if federal funding is involved. Various agencies can act as sponsors, including a state department of education, regional service centers, universities or other organizations.

Lastly, apprenticeships can be competency based, time based or hybrid. Typically time-based apprenticeships are 2000+ hours, however, the equivalent of 1 school year has been discussed as the standard in some states and Federally. As apprentices advance through their program they progress through a "wage schedule." This translates to planned increases in wages when certain identified milestones are reached. An example is moving from an apprentice wage to a teacher's salary when the apprenticeship is completed. 3. Know your why -

Like many endeavors, it is important to know your "why" before you get started. There are many different types of programs that you could create. Apprenticeships can work to attract high school students into para professional roles, to recruit a diverse group of teachers, to solve a particular shortage, to support advancement from teaching to administrative positions and everything in between. Pinpoint why you want to create an apprenticeship and what outcome you expect. Engage with those you seek to attract and partners who can support this work. Knowing your why will help you to better articulate your position and attract partners that align with what you are hoping to achieve.

4.  Join a network -

This conference was just one example of strong networks that are forming across the nation to support those considering apprenticeships. Deans for Impact and National Center for Grow Your Own have teamed up to offer role specific networking. The Teacher Apprenticeship Network has just emerged to support districts looking to increase the pipeline of teachers. You can get support from state networks such as the NYS Educator Workforce Development Hub and Tennessee Grow Your Own Center. T

When I began thinking about writing the first application to become a registered apprenticeship in Connecticut, I had the benefit of those that came before me. Through the National Center of Teacher Residencies, another key player in the support of apprenticeships, I learned from fellow colleagues from Columbia College and the efforts in the state of Tennessee. While our state didn't have a form or template, I was able to modify what my colleagues used to document a new program. Resources exist. Join a network, learn from each other, reach out and ask questions to help you understand the various possibilities and structures for building your own program.

I hope these first four tips have given you some first steps to learning about apprenticeships for educators as a means to address your goals. I look forward to sharing several more tips for when you are planning and implementing your apprenticeship. Subscribe below to be sure you get the next tips sent directly to your inbox! Until then, check below for more links and resources and have an amazing day!

For more information, check out the following resources:

Apprenticeship.gov

Employer Fact Sheet

NCGYO

NYS Educator Workforce Development Hub

Pathways Alliance

Teacher Apprenticeship Network

US DOE