Reach Pillars for an Apprenticeship Degree Program
Executive Summary
Reach University has identified five key pillars for an apprenticeship-based degree program. These pillars guide decisions related to all elements of the program design. As you design your program, keep these pillars in mind or adapt them to your context. Reach University’s pillars are:
Efficiency
Flexibility
Relevance
Affordability
Professional Capital
Efficiency
Teacher apprentices work full time and still graduate on a standard timeline because their job as a paraprofessional counts towards the degree’s credit hours.
Flexibility
Classes are online and scheduled around apprentices' workday so that they do not need to travel far from home, miss work, or arrange childcare.
Relevance
Class discussions analyze apprentices' work experience (rather than theoretical problem sets, essays, or performance tasks) to ensure immediate applicability.
Affordability
Districts/parishes pay apprentices, and federal funding – such as Pell grants, WIOA funding, and other sources – covers the cost of tuition. Apprentices do not take on debt; they are paid to earn their Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential/license.
Professional Capital
Educational preparation providers (such as colleges or universities) coordinate around district/parish staffing needs. Apprentices know they have a teaching position waiting for them in their school district/parish when they graduate.