'Apprenticeship degrees' create earn-and-learn opportunities

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 19
1 min read

Teacher apprentice Ja'net Williams helps first-graders with math at a California charter school Photo: EdSource

Higher education must reinvent itself to survive the collapse of enrollment -- and public confidence --argue Michael B. Horn and Joe E. Ross of Reach University. They envision a system of affordable earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship degrees.

Reach University, an accredited nonprofit, specializes in enabling classroom aides to earn teaching degrees. Michigan and Tennessee have launched teacher-preparation programs that combine work and study.

New Jersey has contracted with Thomas Edison State University to offer apprenticeship degrees in a variety of fields.

Nationwide, most degree apprenticeships are in teaching and library jobs, reports New America. Also popular are health-care occupations and "more traditional apprenticeship occupations like construction and manufacturing." With the exception of teaching, most enable entry-level workers to earn a two-year degree. In some cases, they don't need the degree, but many believe they'll be able to rise higher with academic training.

Apprenticeship makes a lot of sense in teaching. I'd guess that a new teacher with years of experience as an aide is much more effective than someone who's only had a few months as a student teacher.

1 Comment

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.

No ratings yet

JKBrown

Jul 20

If only there had been a movement in the late 19th century to try to get schools to train both the mind and the hand.

"I agree perfectly that the hand and head must work together. Nothing excites my pity more than a man who has given fifteen or twenty years of his life to study—who is the graduate of a University and yet knows nothing of importance--knows nothing that he can sell—knows nothing by which he can make a living. HIs poor head is stuffed with worthless knowledge—with declensions and conjugations—in other words he has spent his whole life learning the names of cards and has not the slightest idea of a game." Col. [Robert G.] Ingersoll. quoted …