In honor of National Apprenticeship Day, four of the nation’s top leaders in the area of tutoring, the Partnership for Student Success, the New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc., the National Student Support Accelerator, and the Pathways Alliance, announced it will join together to collaborate and lead a working group that will develop National Guideline Standards (NGS) for registered tutor apprenticeship programs. Specifically, by utilizing proven frameworks already developed at the state and local levels nationwide, the newly created working group will establish a series of best practices needed to ensure registered tutoring apprenticeship programs can scale seamlessly throughout the country. 

 Last January, in response to significant shortages of teachers and support staff across the county, particularly in subjects like math, science, and special education, the United States Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Office of Apprenticeship (OA) formally approved the inclusion of “Tutor” to the list of occupations allowed to participate in the federal Registered Apprentice Pathway (RAP) and named the New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. (NJTC) as the first tutoring provider in the country to receive this new designation. RAPs were designed by the federal government to create larger talent pools to meet nationwide professional demands and provide individuals working specifically in these designated fields to extend their work beyond just a paycheck and ultimately build a career.

“We are thrilled to join our industry colleagues in developing National Guideline Standards (NGS) for Tutor Apprenticeship Programs. High-impact tutoring is a proven, evidence-based way to accelerate student learning – and now, we’re working to make it a stronger, more intentional entry point into education careers,” stated Sabrina Baptise, Program Director of the Pathways Alliance.

“By focusing on quality standards and building supports for evidence-based programs, we are creating accessible and well-supported pathways to build effective career-connected experiences,” added Kathy Bendheim, Director of Strategic Advising for the National Student Support Accelerator. 

“We know that, when designed well, high-impact tutoring and other K-12 student support roles can not only support academic growth for students, but also serve as meaningful career-connected learning and work opportunities for tutors,” stated Kate Cochran, Managing Director of the Partnership for Student Success. “We are thrilled to be part of this working group with experts in apprenticeships and high-impact tutoring to create a framework for these types of opportunities for tutors pursuing a range of careers in education and beyond.”

“New Jersey Tutoring Corps could not be more proud to be the first tutoring organization in the country to become a registered apprenticeship pathway program for tutors,” stated NJTC CEO Katherine Bassett. “As many school leaders and parents across the country have seen, we face a significant shortage of teachers and support staff. Receiving this designation by the USDOL will enable New Jersey to better address its educator workforce shortage and we hope other states will soon follow suit. We are very excited about the new trailblazing model we have built in New Jersey. The work ahead, with these great partners, will make it far easier for other tutoring institutions around the country to utilize this valuable opportunity.”

“NJTC is committed to developing innovative and impactful tutor to teacher pathways. The federal government created apprenticeship programs to develop talent pools in various professional sectors, including education, making it easier to meet nationwide professional demands. These guidelines will allow tutoring programs to grow and evolve to align district workforce needs,” stated Ashley Bencan, Chief of Staff, NJTC.

Each organization brings a specific expertise to the Coalition:

The Partnership for Student Success is a coalition of nonprofits, higher education institutions, and school districts working to enable all students to get the evidence-based support they need to succeed and is committed to evidence-based solutions that support all students’ growth – with a focus on high-impact tutoring, mentoring, student success coaching, postsecondary transition coaching, and wraparound supports. 

The National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) is a program of the SCALE Initiative at Stanford University. With a vision that every K-12 student in need will have access to an effective tutor that champions and ensures their learning and success, NSSA is devoted to translating promising research about how tutoring can benefit students into action on the ground. 

The Pathways Alliance, led by InnovateEDU, is a coalition of leading education organizations dedicated to supporting and implementing quality, sustainable, and diverse educator preparation pipelines, including teacher residency programs and apprenticeships.  The Pathways Alliance authored the NGS for K12 teacher apprenticeships, which have allowed teacher apprenticeships to scale to 47 states over the last three years. 

As the nation’s first Tutor Apprenticeship Program (TAP), New Jersey Tutoring Corp (NJTC) offers working adults a streamlined and subsidized pathway into the education profession.  Utilizing NJTC’s comprehensive tutor training model, tutors enrolled in NJTC’s Tutor Apprenticeship Program will master key instructional competencies, from building student relationships to creating and delivering effective instruction.  The NJTC TAP offers:

• Comprehensive training and mentorship, guiding tutors through key instructional competencies from building student relationships to creating and delivering effective lesson plans;
• A salary of $30/hour while mastering tutoring competencies of professionalism, planning, instruction, and environment.
• The ability to earn college credit, discounted tuition, and a stipend for post-secondary credits to access additional careers in education, such as a substitute, paraprofessional, or classroom teacher;
• Program completers earn a nationally recognized Tutor credential to tutor anywhere in the country.

Yesterday’s announcement, made on National Apprenticeship Day, is a nationwide celebration coordinated by the U.S. Department of Labor to promote Registered Apprenticeship in accordance with the National Apprenticeship Act (50 Stat. 664; 29 U.S.C. 50). Employers, apprentices, and graduates, industry representatives, labor organizations, community-based organizations, workforce partners, educational institutions, and federal, state, and local government agencies host a series of events throughout the country to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship and showcase how they strengthen the economy by developing a highly skilled workforce to meet industry needs and creating pathways for career seekers to catapult into in-demand jobs.