Youth Registered Teacher Apprentice Program
The Kansas Youth Registered Teacher Apprentice Program was created to build a sustainable, long-term teacher vacancy solution by identifying future educators while they are still in high school and providing them with a clear pathway into the teaching profession. Rather than recruiting teachers from outside the community, the program helps school districts develop their own future workforce by investing in students who already have strong connections to their schools and communities.
The Youth Registered Teacher Apprentice Program combines Career and Technical Education (CTE), paid work-based learning, dual-credit college coursework, and Registered Apprenticeship into a single, coordinated pathway. Students complete the Teaching/Training CTE pathway while gaining meaningful classroom experience under the guidance of experienced educators. At the same time, they begin earning college credit toward a bachelor's degree in education, reducing both the time and cost required to become a licensed teacher. This integrated model allows students to graduate from high school with valuable professional experience, college credits already completed, and a clear next step toward teacher licensure.
The program is designed to benefit both students and school districts. Students gain hands-on experience in a profession they are considering, earn wages while learning, build relationships with mentor teachers, and make significant progress toward a college degree before graduating from high school. Districts benefit by creating a local pipeline of future educators who understand their schools, their communities, and the students they will one day serve. By strengthening partnerships between school districts, colleges and universities, and workforce development organizations, the program creates a coordinated approach to addressing Kansas' teacher shortage.
Financial Support
To help remove financial barriers, youth apprentices may qualify for up to $2,750 per year through the Apprentice to Educator (A2E) Grant administered by the Kansas Office of Apprenticeship. These funds can be used to offset the cost of eligible dual-credit tuition and related educational expenses, making early college coursework more affordable while students remain in high school. Combined with paid work-based learning opportunities, this funding allows students to begin preparing for a teaching career with reduced financial burden while helping districts invest in the next generation of Kansas educators.
District Benefits
- Grow Your Own Teacher Pipeline by developing future educators from within your own community.
- Paid Apprenticeship allowing students to earn wages while gaining meaningful classroom experience.
- Dual-Credit Coursework that enables students to earn college credit while still in high school. Up to $2,750 per Year in available tuition assistance through the Apprentice to Educator (A2E) Grant for eligible dual-credit coursework.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) Alignment through the Kansas Teaching/Training pathway.
- Registered Apprenticeship Model combining classroom instruction with structured, hands-on learning.
- Experienced Mentor Teachers who provide coaching, support, and professional guidance throughout the apprenticeship.
- Real Classroom Experience that helps students develop confidence and professional skills before entering college full-time.
- Seamless Pathway to Teacher Licensure from high school through completion of a bachelor's degree and educator preparation program.
- Flexible District Implementation that allows districts to tailor work-based learning experiences while meeting KSDE and Registered Apprenticeship requirements.
