In the United States, people often feel like they need to choose between pursuing a conventional four-year college degree or working, leaving millions of people with no opportunity to achieve the professional and economic advancement that comes with a bachelor’s degree.
What if this is a false choice? Apprenticeship Degrees offer a hybrid option where people can earn a salary working in their intended profession while making progress toward their bachelor’s degree at little-to-no cost — and gaining critical on-the-job training to help them succeed over the long run.
Teacher Apprenticeship Degrees (TADs), in particular, have gained momentum in recent years as an inclusive pathway into the teaching profession at a time when many school systems are struggling to hire and retain classroom talent. An effective TAD program requires requires employers (in this case school systems), individuals, and institutions to come together — coordinated by an intermediary — to create a marketplace that creates compelling value for each stakeholder.
Best of Both Worlds: Teacher Apprenticeship Degrees shares lessons from five innovative TAD programs around program design, the roles of different stakeholders, market dynamics, costs and funding — and, ultimately, how TADs can succeed and scale.