The grant will create nine funded apprenticeship positions to help address teacher shortages.
Tennessee Technological University has received a grant through the State of Tennessee’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program. The award, which totals $178,634, will support the university’s “RTAP SOAR: the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program for Sustaining On-the-job Apprenticeships Regionally” program, and will create nine funded apprenticeship positions that will help address the state’s educator shortage.
According to an article on Tennessee Tech’s website, Lisa Zagumny, who serves as the dean of Tech’s College of Education & Human Sciences, was quoted as saying of the award, “This investment by the state reflects the importance of innovative solutions to strengthen Tennessee’s teacher workforce. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing highly qualified educators who are ready to serve students from their first day in the classroom. Programs like RTAP help us extend that impact while making teacher preparation more accessible and affordable.”
The project “RTAP SOAR: the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program for Sustaining On-the-job Apprenticeships Regionally” is led by Jeremy Wendt, who is the chair of Tech’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. It will create four bachelor’s degree apprenticeship seats and five post-baccalaureate apprenticeship seats, which will help more individuals complete degree and licensure requirements while they are working within classrooms.
The apprenticeship is an “earn-while-you-learn” model that lets individuals gain experience in real classrooms while they work toward obtaining all of their licensure requirements. The grant funding can be utilized for tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, and licensure assessment costs.
Wendt said of the project, “This grant expands opportunities for individuals who want to become teachers while remaining connected to the communities they serve. By helping offset the cost of earning a degree and licensure, we can support school districts facing workforce challenges and create more pathways for talented individuals to enter the profession. These apprentices will gain valuable on-the-job experience while working toward becoming licensed educators. Many of these future teachers are already making a difference in schools in various support roles. The apprenticeship model helps remove financial barriers and provides a pathway that allows them to continue working while preparing for a teaching career.”
Individuals who participate in the program will work in paid instructional support roles while they earn their degree and complete requirements.
For more information about Tennessee Technological University, visit the school’s website.