Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs

Facing teacher shortages, states have embraced the promise of apprenticeship as a training strategy for roles in education. Since January 2022, over 45 states, plus Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,[1] have registered apprenticeship programs for educators. According to data from the US Department of Labor (USDOL), over 100 K-12 teacher Registered Apprenticeship programs have been registered, serving over 4,000 active K-12 teacher apprentices.

Given the rapid growth of apprenticeship in the education sector, more information is needed regarding how states design program standards and provide funding for these programs. Luckily, a new resource from Education Trust and the Pathways Alliance provides data from all 50 states and DC to help close this information gap.

The scan examines publicly available data on teacher apprenticeship programs to compare them across a number of elements, including information about state sponsorship; whether or not the state has adopted guidelines or program standards; state funding strategies; and whether or not the state has adopted specific recruitment goals for its apprenticeship program. Two of these elements—program standards and funding strategies—have significant implications for the quality and sustainability of apprenticeships. States are testing a wide range of approaches in their efforts to jumpstart apprenticeships and reimagine teacher preparation pathways, but it remains to be seen which will have the greatest impact.

States’ standards for apprenticeship programs vary considerably. Though the federal Office of Apprenticeship supported The Pathways Alliance in developing National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teacher Apprentices, it’s not clear yet how many states (if any) have adopted them wholesale.  Some states have adopted strict guidance for alternative pathways to certification–including registered apprenticeship–while others are much more flexible. According to the scan, of the 45 states with active apprenticeships, only 31 have publicly available guidance; 24 do not. New York, Tennessee, Colorado, and Alabama all highlight varying state efforts to provide guidance and support for Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs.

After New York’s State Department of Labor recognized “teacher” as an apprenticeable occupation in 2021, the state implemented teacher apprenticeship program standards. Guidance centered around addressing regional teacher shortages. Particularly in high-need areas such as special education, bilingual education, and STEM fields.

The state’s framework encourages collaboration between school districts and higher education and emphasizes flexibility in program design, allowing districts to customize apprenticeship opportunities based on local needs and staffing challenges.

Tennessee Alabama

Tennessee, the first state to establish a nationally registered apprenticeship program for teachers, has established a robust framework that integrates teacher apprenticeships directly into the state licensure process, offering a seamless pathway for aspiring educators. The state mandates that teacher apprenticeships combine rigorous coursework with practical, paid, on-the-job training to ensure candidates meet all certification requirements. To support this integration, Tennessee requires local school districts to collaborate with state-approved educator preparation programs.

Some states have passed legislation to codify educator apprenticeship and establish standards to guide their implementation. In 2023, Colorado enacted Senate Bill 23-087, establishing the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program that focuses on creating pathways into the profession for candidates without traditional four-year degrees.  This legislation allows individuals employed by school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, or charter schools to earn a bachelor’s degree and obtain teaching licensure through a registered apprenticeship model.

In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey signed Executive Order No. 732 to establish a K-12 teacher registered apprenticeship pilot program to increase the amount of classroom experience teachers gain before becoming the teacher of record, improve mentorship programs, address recruitment and cost reduction, and create realistic and effective educator pathways. Though the state-specific guidelines are slim, the program begins in the candidate’s junior year of a bachelor’s degree; candidates have the opportunity to lead their own classrooms during their senior year.

States use a variety of funding streams to develop and implement their education apprenticeship programs. To date, much of the support for educator apprenticeship has come from federal sources, including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) Grants, and State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAEF) grants. According to the Education Trust and the Pathways Alliance’s scan, only 15 states (including DC) with active educator apprenticeships have allocated non-federal funding to support those programs.

The scan found that these states primarily used resources from governor’s reserves, Grow Your Own (GYO) grants, state grant programs, and state budgets—and often a combination of these—to provide state support for educator apprenticeship. Sources are set up to provide recurring support,  grants or one-time infusions of funds. And in some cases, states are leveraging a combination of funding types to promote sustainability.

Iowa, for example, allocated $45.6 million in state funding to their Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program Pilot, combining one-time appropriations with recurring funds, though its long-term viability depends on continued legislative support. In contrast, New Mexico’s $37 million Educator Fellows Program is primarily grant-dependent, with funding tied to temporary state budget allocations that may vary annually, making it less stable over time. Oregon is investing $10 million through the State General Fund to support educator registered apprenticeship and a mentorship program for new teachers and administrators. While the initial investment is high, this is a one-time appropriation to provide grants to eligible programs, leaving the long-term sustainability unknown without a permanent funding source.

States have acted quickly to define, launch, and, in some cases, fund educator apprenticeship programs, leading to rapid growth in the number of programs that exist across the U.S. This has led to considerable variation in the landscape, including in terms of states’ program standards and funding approaches. Support from the U.S. Department of Education and through grant support from the USDOL (e.g. through State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grants and Apprenticeship Building America grants). Strong state leadership will remain essential in setting a high bar for quality, ensuring sustainability, and addressing local workforce needs.