The Roles That Colleges and Universities Play in Apprenticeship
As a training provider, colleges and universities deliver academic instruction driven by industry standards.
Primary responsibilities include co-creating apprenticeship curriculum alongside local businesses, granting progressive credentials based on competency testing, and facilitating access to financial aid and other support resources (e.g., academic, tutoring, counseling).
As an intermediary, colleges and universities serve as connectors to their local business community while remaining committed to providing students with quality education, experiential learning, and skills that meet employer needs.
Primary responsibilities include recruiting, screening, and testing potential apprentices ready, to begin with, an apprenticeship sponsor. Colleges and universities work with individual employers, large and small, to design a tailored curriculum that meets individual employers' business goals.
As a sponsor, colleges and universities operate a Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Primary responsibilities include assuming full responsibility for the administration and operation of an apprenticeship program. This includes employing apprentices.
Post-Secondary Education Success Stories
Discover how local colleges and universities are working with regional and local industry, improving transitions for K-12 students, and forging partnerships across their state to be successful in apprenticeship.
Expand Employer Base
Learn how Harper College expanded on their apprenticeship program footprint
Effective Partnerships
Understand how Macomb Community College developed partnerships
Diverse Talent
Learn about outreach strategies employed at Reynolds Community College
Expanding Community College Apprenticeships
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is partnering with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to Expand Community College Apprenticeships. To learn more about this initiative and their apprenticeship participant colleges, visit the AACC website.
In addition, as part of the ECCA initiative, AACC created a Virtual Apprenticeship Network Toolkit. While high-quality tools about Registered Apprenticeship Programs for community colleges exist, few are compiled and organized specifically for community colleges. AACC has identified, organized, and, where necessary, created or customized tools for rapid adoption by community colleges.
