Apprenticeship

For Watson, the apprenticeship was more than just a training program. It was a paid pathway to a rewarding career.

In addition to on-the-job training and related education, apprentices receive a wage that increases as they master competencies.

But the benefits go beyond a salary. Apprentices gain in-demand skills, the guidance of an experienced mentor, and, once they’ve completed the program, a nationally recognized credential.

Employers, meanwhile, gain qualified, productive workers who tend to stay on long after completing their apprenticeships.

Businesses that offer apprenticeship programs can customize their training to fit their needs. Others use apprenticeships as part of their succession planning to ensure they have knowledgeable workers ready to step in and fill vacant positions.

Shalondria Shaw, the State Apprenticeship Director, pointed to the tool and die industry as an example.

“It’s a dying art form,” she said. “And you know the silver tsunami. … Those baby boomers are retiring. And so, who’s going to take their place? So internally an employer may utilize (an apprenticeship) just to succession plan and to have a pathway for their entry-level employees to move up in the company.”

There are financial incentives for businesses as well. Employers can apply to be reimbursed for apprentices’ wages, equipment, and training materials. There’s also an organic return on investment. Studies show employers reap a $1.47 return for every dollar they spend on apprenticeships.

Teaching Future Teachers

While many apprenticeship programs center around skilled trades, such as welding and carpentry, nontraditional apprenticeships covering a wide range of fields are sprouting up.

Take Tennessee’s Grow Your Own program, which aims to address teacher shortages by strengthening the educator pipeline. In 2022, Tennessee became the first state to earn national approval for its K-12 teacher apprenticeship program.

Under Grow Your Own, educational assistants and other paraprofessionals work at their local schools for a year with a mentor teacher before taking over their own classroom. They complete college coursework and pursue their teaching licenses at no out-of-pocket cost.

Rutherford County Schools first became involved with the Grow Your Own initiative during the 2022-2023 school year. The district partnered with Lipscomb University for a master’s degree program. Thirty-nine of the 42 teacher apprentices graduated last summer with a master’s degree in either elementary education and English as a Second Language or elementary education and special education. Thirty-eight are currently employed by the district.

“That really helped us fill a need because our No. 1 vacancy is special education,” said Janet Flannery, Coordinator of New Teacher Programs and Recruitment at Rutherford County Schools.

In addition to Lipscomb, the district also has teacher apprentices studying at MTSU and UT Southern. Some are pursuing a master’s degree; others are going for their bachelor’s.

Teachers at the school district aren’t the only ones benefiting from apprenticeships. Rutherford County Schools also offers pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships for high school students in fields such as plumbing, digital arts, and health science. The district partners with Lee Co., Roscoe Brown, Cultivation Network, and NHC. These businesses donate equipment, host tours, and send professionals into the classroom to engage with students.

“Students are able to get that firsthand career experience,” said Tiffany Phillips, a CTE Industry Engagement Specialist. “Also, just having other people come into the classroom can be such a huge benefit to the students.”

The district is seeking a new partner for a welding program next year, Phillips said.

Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, 42 paraprofessionals at Rutherford County Schools participated in the Grow Your Own teacher apprenticeship program to become fully licensed teachers. Thirty-nine graduated last summer with a master's degree from Lipscomb University. These teachers were honored at a Rutherford County Board of Education meeting in September. (Courtesy of James Evans / Rutherford County Schools)

Apprenticeship TN Sees Massive Growth

While apprenticeships have existed for ages, Tennessee became a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) only two years ago. That designation gives Tennessee the authority to approve and manage apprenticeship programs. Before 2022, that authority belonged to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship TN has seen explosive growth since then. There are now more than 430 active programs and 9,410 apprentices, with 4,084 apprentices added in fiscal year 2022-2023 alone.

Shaw and other workforce leaders want to keep that momentum going and are pursuing additional apprenticeship opportunities. Later this month, they’ll present a proposal for a student nurse apprenticeship to the Board of Nursing.

“A student nurse should not have to go work in the bar in downtown Nashville while they’re going to school,” Shaw said. “Why can’t they work as an entry-level health care professional and get paid for doing that?”

Like with teaching, a credential or completion certificate doesn’t take the place of a state license. When student nurses apply for their license, they shouldn’t be denied because the board doesn’t recognize the apprenticeship pathway, Shaw said. That’s why gaining the endorsement of the nursing board is key.

Expansion, Engagement, and Innovation

Expansion is also one of the themes at this year’s Apprenticeship TN conferences.

The three conferences — one in each of the state’s grand divisions — are being held this month in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week. The first of those conferences, at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s boardroom in Knoxville, is Nov. 7.

The venue has significance. TVA has the oldest apprenticeship program in Tennessee, having registered it in the late 1930s.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Stanton will serve as host of Apprenticeship TN’s West Region conference. The state-of-the-art school was built to train the workers needed for Ford’s BlueOval City auto assembly complex. 

The Middle Region conference will be held at the General Motors plant in Spring Hill.

Panelists at the conferences include employers, educators, and workforce development directors. They’ll speak about the impact of apprenticeships and the importance of expansion, engagement, and innovation.

“If you want to hear best practices and how Fortune 500 companies are utilizing apprenticeship to grow their business, to attract, train, and retain employees, to attract the next generation of workforce, these are the conferences you want to be at,” Shaw said.