The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor have unveiled a series of initiatives intended to bolster registered apprenticeships for educators and invigorate teacher preparation programs.
“Teacher apprenticeships are a key strategy in our plan to Raise the Bar in education and improve learning conditions in our schools by ending the educator shortage and providing all students with great teachers who are prepared to succeed in the classroom from day one,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a July 27 release by the Department of Education.
The initiatives include National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS) for K-12 teachers, substantial funding for educator preparation programs, and the establishment of Registered Apprenticeship programs in 45 states, with a focus on education, the release reported.
The new programs are part of the "Raise the Bar: Lead the World" initiative, which intends to improve learning conditions by eliminating teacher shortages. The announcement follows a joint letter dispatched by the secretaries of Education and Labor last summer, urging state education and workforce leaders to remedy the staffing shortages nationwide.
“Providing opportunities for future teachers to earn while they learn has created an affordable and exciting pathway into the teaching profession that can help states build a talented and diverse pipeline of educators at a moment when doing so has never mattered more," Cardona said in the release. "I’m thrilled that in just one year, the Biden-Harris administration has helped grow the number of states with Registered Apprenticeship programs for teachers from two to 21, and look forward to these new guidelines helping get all 50 states get onboard.”
Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su highlighted the strategic collaboration between the Labor and Education Departments, saying the partnership "emboldens the Biden-Harris administration's comprehensive approach to cultivate a highly-adept, diverse workforce that mirrors the communities our educators serve," the release reported.
The pandemic led to the loss of 730,000 local public education jobs from February to May 2020, and these initiatives aim to ensure the nation's educational system remains robust and resilient. With the introduction of apprenticeships, prospective educators now have a promising avenue that balances practical experience with theoretical instruction, the release said.
