First Program in the Nation Highlights Emerging Educators Who Are Strengthening Student Outcomes and New Jersey’s Teacher Pipeline

As the public school year came to a close last month, New Jersey Tutoring Corps (NJTC) held its inaugural High Impact Tutoring Capstone Celebration, honoring its initial 12 tutor apprentices who completed this year’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, demonstrating how one innovative solution can simultaneously accelerate student achievement and expand the state’s future educator workforce.

Previously, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) had approved the inclusion of Tutor on the list of occupations allowed to participate in the federal Registered Apprentice Program (RAP) and named the NJTC as the first approved provider in the country to allow its public school tutors to participate in the federal Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).  Approved and validated by the U.S. DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA), RAPs are designed to create larger talent pools to meet nationwide professional demands and provide individuals working specifically in these designated fields with opportunities to extend their work beyond just a paycheck and ultimately build a career. More information on RAPs is available at www.apprenticeship.gov. 

This year’s celebration marked the first cohort since USDOL’s announcement and showcased NJTC’s innovative “earn while you learn” pathway, allowing aspiring educators to gain paid instructional experience, receive coaching and professional development, earn credentials, and access long-term careers in education. As states across the nation search for solutions to educator shortages and unfinished learning, NJTC’s Tutor apprenticeship model offers a promising blueprint that can scale nationally. Developed as part of NJTC’s broader effort to strengthen New Jersey’s educator workforce, the Apprenticeship Program was conceived by NJTC Chief of Staff Ashley Bencan, who recognized an opportunity to transform tutoring from a short-term intervention into a long-term talent pipeline. She led NJTC’s efforts to develop the innovative program through strategic partnerships with the USDOL, NJDOL, higher education institutions, and school districts across the state. 

While the celebration recognized individual accomplishments, the event also highlighted a broader opportunity for New Jersey’s education system and the nation. As school districts continue to confront educator shortages and students continue to recover from unfinished learning, NJTC’s apprenticeship model demonstrates how strategic investments in people can strengthen student outcomes now and strengthen the future educator workforce. By combining high-impact tutoring, paid workforce training, professional coaching, and postsecondary pathways, the program addresses two of education’s most pressing challenges through a single coordinated strategy.  

This year’s NJTC apprentices delivered 11,267 tutoring sessions to scholars across 20 public schools throughout New Jersey, maintained a 93 percent attendance rate, and earned an average scholar satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5. The public school scholars whom the apprentices tutored increased their base scores on their iReady assessments by 14 points in math and 18 points in literacy. 

“When these tutor apprentices entered NJTC’s first-in-the-nation program, they came from different backgrounds, experiences, and stages of life. What united them was a desire to make a difference,” stated Katherine Bassett, Chief Executive Officer of New Jersey Tutoring Corps. “Throughout the training program, they developed new skills, new confidence, and new possibilities for their future. Today, they know more, can do more, offer more to the world, and can teach more than they could when they began. Most importantly, they helped scholars discover those same possibilities within themselves, and that is the true power of education.”

“When we first imagined this program, our goal was not simply to create another professional development opportunity,” stated Ashley Bencan, Chief of Staff for New Jersey Tutoring Corps and architect of the Tutor Apprenticeship Program. “We wanted to build a pathway that would help talented people see a future for themselves in education while giving schools access to a growing pipeline of skilled educators. Watching our apprentices develop new skills, earn credentials, pursue degrees and certifications, and make a lasting difference in students’ lives has been incredibly rewarding. The Related Technical Instruction, combined with their weekly coaching, provided the additional guidance and support they needed to achieve their professional goals. This program demonstrates what is possible when workforce development and student success are intentionally connected. What began as an effort to help students recover from unfinished learning has evolved into a statewide strategy for attracting, training, and developing future educators.”

The apprentices who completed the program were recognized at the celebration by Nicole Field, Apprenticeship and Training Representative with the United States Department of Labor.  Ms. Field was instrumental in helping to secure recognition of ‘tutor’ as an apprenticeable profession by the Department and in advocating for NJTC to serve as the first approved provider to lead the new federal RAP.

William Sarboukh, Assistant Director, Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJ DoL), also recognized the work of NJTC’s apprentices and stressed the importance of apprenticeship in building the nation’s future teacher workforce. He was joined by NJ DoL’s Assistant Commissioner, Julie Diaz, and Chief of Staff Emy Quispe.

Also in attendance and facilitating the afternoon activities was Dr. Chelsea Collins, CEO of ConnectED Workforce, NJTC’s Related Technical Instruction (RTI) Provider. Dr. Collins led the year-long RTI and pushed apprentices to develop their core instructional competencies so they would be ready to lead their own classrooms. 

NJTC’s higher education partners, who gave apprentices access to earning course credit, tuition reductions, and alternative route pathways, specifically Rutgers University’s Dr. Sharlene Laud and Trevor Picone, and New Jersey City University’s Dr. Michael Artbilt, were also present. In addition, two key partners in developing the NJTC model, iLearn, represented by Dr. Gurkan Kose, Chief Academic Officer; Dawn Fantasia, Director of Academic Enrichment Programs and Assessment; and Sarah VanSise and Haddon Township School District, represented by Dr. Robert Fisicaro, Superintendent of Schools, honored the work of the apprentice tutors.

Of the 12 apprentices who completed the program, three earned their Certificate of Eligibility (CE), one completed their Bachelor’s degree, and four have passed their Praxis Content Examinations, a series of standardized tests administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  NJTC registered 46 apprentices this year, and each month, more are getting closer to completion. Members of NJTC’s inaugural Tutor Apprenticeship cohort demonstrated the power of a first-in-the-nation model that simultaneously advances student achievement and strengthens the educator workforce. Their accomplishments underscore a simple but powerful truth: student success and educator development are not separate challenges—they are deeply connected opportunities.

Nicholas Hoover, who worked in the Haddon Township School District and earned his Bachelor’s degree in teaching through the NJTC Tutor Apprentice Program, shared that success was measured not only by improved academic performance but also by an unexpected moment of affirmation from a parent. During Teacher Appreciation Week, a parent shared that her daughter no longer cried when completing math homework and had developed a newfound confidence in the subject after participating in tutoring sessions.

“One of the most powerful lessons I learned this year is that academic growth and confidence often go hand in hand,” stated Mr. Hoover. “By creating engaging lessons and building strong relationships, I watched students become excited to learn and eager to challenge themselves. The apprenticeship allowed me to grow as an educator while helping students discover that they are capable of far more than they realize.”

Jasmine Ramsey, who tutored at iLearn schools this school year, earned her CE in Biology through the NJTC Tutor Apprentice Program and will now be teaching in her own classroom this fall. She stated, “One of the proudest accomplishments has been becoming certified and continuing to advance my journey in education. As someone who has spent over 20 years tutoring and supporting students, earning my certification represented more than a professional milestone. It reflected years of dedication, perseverance, and commitment to helping others succeed.” 

Sharon Kessel, who tutored at iLearn and earned credits towards her Master’s degree from New Jersey City University through the NJTC Tutor Apprentice Program, stated, “One of my proudest accomplishments as a Tutor Apprentice with NJ Tutoring Corps has been seeing student growth both academically and personally. I’m proud of helping scholars build confidence, strengthen their skills, and develop a more positive attitude toward learning.” 

Research consistently demonstrates that high-impact tutoring is among the most effective interventions available to help students accelerate learning, recover from unfinished learning, and build academic confidence. As New Jersey schools continue to seek solutions to unfinished learning and educator shortages, the apprentices honored during this year’s Capstone Celebration offer a glimpse of what is possible when student support and workforce development are pursued together. Their success demonstrates that investing in future educators can transform outcomes not only for individual scholars but for entire communities.  What began as an effort to accelerate learning has evolved into a statewide strategy for developing the next generation of educators.

“At New Jersey Tutoring Corps, we believe that changing outcomes for students and strengthening the educator pipeline are deeply connected,” Ms. Bassett concluded. “These apprentices have demonstrated that high-impact tutoring can do both. They are helping scholars succeed today while becoming the educators, leaders, and mentors our schools will need tomorrow.”

NJTC was originally created through an innovative public/private partnership, that united support from statewide anchor institutions such as the Overdeck Family Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, the Prudential Foundation, The Carlson Family Foundation, the Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation and investment from the State, through the continued support of  Senate Majority Leader Ruiz, Senate Education Committee Chair Gopal, and Assemblywoman Andrea Katz and Assembly Budget Chair Eliana Pintor Marin.  Throughout the school year, NJTC co-designs tutoring programs with schools, districts, and community partners, ensuring that its research-based, evidence-rich program meets each partner’s needs. NJTC follows the recommendations of the Annenberg Institute and the National Student Support Accelerator for effective high-impact tutoring.  Specifically, staff members provide responsive, personalized, hands-on instruction aligned to New Jersey state standards. Partners co-design each implementation. Tutors are often embedded throughout classrooms during the school day and receive support from instructional coaches and site coordinators. Tutors serve scholars in 30- to 60-minute embedded sessions during the school day, after school, or in summer programs two to three times per week. The program provides a 1:1 to 1:4 tutor-to-scholar ratio for each tutoring session, with the same tutor working with the same scholars throughout a program cycle.