Bridging the Classroom to Careers through Apprenticeship

Registered apprenticeship (RA) provides your students with a proven pathway to high-demand careers across every sector. Related instruction delivered in-person, online or in a hybrid method is a key required component to all RA programs. These courses - which can be delivered in high school, through Career and Technical Education center programs, or community, technical colleges or universities - help students gain critically-needed knowledge to become competent professionals in their chosen pathway and earn one or more industry-valued credentials. Secondary and post-secondary educational institutions can participate in apprenticeship by:

  • Becoming an RA sponsor, enabling local businesses to recruit your students for paid apprenticeship opportunities and/or enroll their incumbent workers and new hires into your courses for related instruction
  • Serving as a training provider, delivering industry-aligned related instruction for local existing RA programs
  • Being an intermediary, connecting students to local RA programs with recruiting, screening and testing services and even creating high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs to provide accelerated entry into a local RA program

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Resources

03 Mar 2025

The National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) is dedicated to improving the education-to-careers pipeline through professional development in career and technical education (CTE), Career Pathways, Adult Career Pathways, and workforce development. Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, presented the interactive workshop, Building Student Awareness of Apprenticeship Career Pathways, equipping both stakeholders and educators with tools to link Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs and successful education-to-apprenticeship pathways. The session provided data showcasing the benefits of RA and a discussion around expert insights on effective transitions to apprenticeship.

The presentation also discussed how our Center of Excellence can provide state and local CTE leadership and program instructors with customized, no-cost TA, resources and tools to engage in pre-apprenticeship.

Link to PPT

26 Feb 2025

Rural community colleges face unique challenges when implementing Registered Apprenticeship programs. In this webinar, Safal Partners Workforce Director, Dr. Melissa Schroeder, hosted a discussion with David Shofstahl, Apprenticeship Coordinator and Workforce Program Manager for Skilled Trades at Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC). As a recognized leader in workforce development, David has navigated unique challenges of implementing Registered Apprenticeship programs in rural areas. MGCC, the second smallest community college in Virginia, has utilized innovative approaches to overcome significant barriers to apprenticeship adoption. Dr. Melissa Schroeder also offers her insight into the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges.

Link to Webinar

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12 Dec 2024

The Center presented this interactive workshop during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2024 to help employers of all sizes and all sectors expand their workforce recruiting and development strategies by adopting Registered Apprenticeship. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are expertly positioned to accelerate student’s successful entry into these programs through development of strategic partnerships and industry-aligned pre-apprenticeship programs. The Center also showcased how we can provide your state and local CTE leadership, and individual program instructors, with customized, no-cost TA, resources, and tools to engage in pre-apprenticeship. 

Link to PPT

10 Dec 2024

The Center of Excellence lead this interactive workshop during the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association’s Apprenticeship PA Collaborative and Expo. This presentation helps educators, industry employers, and workforce staff learn how to develop, implement, and sustain youth Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

Link to PPT

09 Oct 2024

Maryland's employers are struggling to fill jobs, while parents face the rising costs of college. The state has also set an ambitious goal: by the 2030-2031 school year, 45% of graduating seniors should complete an apprenticeship or earn an industry-recognized credential. Achieving these objectives will require a significant expansion of youth apprenticeships across the state.

This workshop provides insights into how education can seamlessly transition into apprenticeship. It presents data and statistics highlighting the impact and success rates of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs and explores the many benefits of combining traditional education with RA, such as enhanced skills acquisition, job readiness, and long-term career success. Industry experts share examples of successful education-to-apprenticeship pathways. This presentation equips you with the strategies and knowledge to bridge the gap between education and apprenticeship, ultimately benefiting both students and the workforce.

Link to PPT

 

26 Aug 2024

This Center of Excellence webinar is designed to empower educators, practitioners, and stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to seamlessly connect education with Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. Attendees will gain insights into how education can effectively transition into apprenticeship, hear comprehensive data and statistics that highlight the impact and success rates of RA programs, and learn about the myriad of benefits of combining traditional education with RA, including enhanced skills acquisition, job readiness, and long-term career success. Industry experts will also provide examples of successfully implementing education-to-apprenticeship pathways. This informative and engaging session will equip you with the strategies and knowledge to bridge the gap between education and apprenticeship, ultimately benefiting students and the workforce.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Link to Office Hours Webinar

Link to Office Hours PPT

17 May 2024

Center partner, the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), held their Annual Conference in Nashville, TN in 2024. Center subject matter experts, Katie Adams, Nicole Klues, and Dr, Amber Gallup, presented about expanding pre-apprenticeship opportunities for adult learners through employer engagement to grow their registered apprenticeship program. This interactive session explored tools and strategies for fostering strong partnerships between adult education programs and employers to enhance pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship opportunities for students.

Link to PPT

21 Feb 2024

Properly implemented supportive services can ensure higher retention rates for apprentices in skilled, nontraditional occupations. However, most Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs don’t have a framework for working with state or federal grant programs or their local workforce development board (LWDB) to access Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and non-WIOA funded supportive services for their youth or adult apprentices. Learn how one CTE Center works with its LWDB and braids state and federal apprenticeship grant funding to provide critically-needed supportive services to apprentices.

As a Registered Apprenticeship program sponsor, the Special School District of St. Louis County’s Adult CTE Department has implemented a promising programmatic model and support service delivery practice for its multi-occupation adult apprenticeship programs, including Certified Nurse Assistant, Certified Medication Technician and Level One Medication Aide, as well as its “Healthcare S.T.A.R.S.” Pre-Apprenticeship program. These practices range from mentoring, case management, and linkages with community services partners to providing financial assistance with childcare, transportation, housing, and utility costs.

This presentation was given during the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) CareerTech Vision 2023 workshop.

Link to PPT

24 Aug 2023

Mapping IET to Pre-Apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship Programs This presentation at COABE's Annual Conference in May 2023 provides Adult Education (AE) leaders and instructors with background on Apprenticeship, findings from the Center's nationwide assessment of adult educators' knowledge of apprenticeship, and tools to help map Integrated Education and Training (IET) programming to pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs, helping create accelerated pathways for adult learners into high-quality career pathways.

Link to PPT

03 Apr 2023

Use this resource to align your Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs with pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship (RA). This resource is aligned to the IET design toolkit, and whether you are developing an IET program with pre-apprenticeship or RA in mind or want to align your current IET programs, this resource will help to support a direct pathway into a pre-apprenticeship and RA.

Link to PDF

20 Jan 2023

This webinar will provide a technical look at how one Office of Education developed pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships to help resolve the talent pipeline challenge they faced. Join us to hear Pam Knapp, San Joaquin County Office of Education as she explains why they started this journey and what she advises for those just starting out with Youth Apprenticeships.

Link to Webinar

20 Jul 2022

Meet your USDOL Apprenticeship Training Rep.

Link to Webinar

13 Apr 2022

Toolkit developed by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the state's workforce system - CareerSource Florida - aimed at equipping colleges with information, tools and templates to build, register, launch and sustain a registered apprenticeship program.

Link to Tool