Is Apprenticeship the Key to Bridging the Experience Gap in Education?

 

Apprenticeship could be the perfect solution to moving the needle and bridging the experience gap in education.

As education stands at a crossroads between educational reform and workforce development, how can apprenticeship programs revolutionize the approach to equipping the next generation for the evolving job market?

In an insightful episode of The Future of Education: Class Disrupted, hosted by Michael B. Horn and Diane Tavenner, guest Ryan Craig, the Managing Director at Achieve Partners, explores the transformative potential of apprenticeships. This discussion teases a critical perspective on apprenticeship as a viable alternative to the traditional college pathway, highlighting its role in addressing the experience gap in education today.

“Apprenticeship is really the only alternative pathway that truly levels the playing field because it’s a job,” Craig said. “An apprenticeship is a job, first and foremost, where you’re being paid a living wage and you have built in formal and informal training as well as wage and career progression with the apprenticeship.”

This statement underscores the unique value of apprenticeships in providing practical, paid experience alongside education, thereby equipping individuals with the skills and expertise needed in the modern workforce.

Recent Episodes

Across the country, workforce development systems are under pressure to deliver better outcomes in an economy that demands speed, flexibility, and equity. Traditional pathways, such as community college without clear career prospects, no longer serve enough people well. A report by the Center for Community College Student Engagement found that 42 percent of community…

The traditional residential college experience is transforming. Driven by rising costs, declining enrollment, and student demand for flexibility, small private colleges are rethinking their academic models. A 2022 McKinsey & Company survey found that 65 percent of higher education students want aspects of their learning experience to remain virtual, even post-pandemic. This shift signals…

Across the country, a growing number of students and educators are taking education into their own hands—literally. As frustration with traditional education mounts, a new wave of entrepreneurial energy is leading to radically reimagined learning spaces. From food forests to fashion start-ups, the classroom looks more like a collaborative studio than a lecture hall….