2026-27 Guidance/Timeline for apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Employment Cycle Timeline

MCPS 2026-2027

For the 2026-2027 school year, apprentices will be evaluated and hired during a designated hiring cycle. 

1. Students will apply, be evaluated by a central MCPS panel, and then be allowed to apply for open jobs in the areas of Hands On Dental Assistants Training  (Hands On DAT), Certified Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT), Clark Carpentry, and IEC Electrical Apprenticeships.

2. Students are required to be hired in a job to have the opportunity to attend the related instruction classes (Hands On DAT, CAMT) or be approved to apply to a specific apprenticeship program (IEC Chesapeake, Clark).

3. After the student is hired, they must complete the Apprenticeship Maryland Program (AMP) form and have it on file with the Maryland Department of Labor. The form must be signed by the student, their Internship Apprenticeship Teacher, guardian, and employer.

4. Students must have an AMP form verifying a job where they are formally on payroll (W-2 employment) and receiving at least minimum wage to start the related instruction connected to their job. 

5. Students who are not hired will be dropped from the program on June 1, 2026

Timeline

February 9, 2026 - March 29, 2026 - Application Window Opens

• Students will apply through the WBL Navigator to be considered for a job 

  • Student applications will be reviewed, and candidates will be selected for Central Office evaluation. 

• Students who are selected in the assessment at the Central Office will be interviewed.

  • Selected students will be invited to a panel interview at Central Office with industry and school district representatives.

April 7, 2026 - June 1, 2026 - Hiring window 

• Students who meet the requirements to be hired by an employer and become an apprentice will be allowed to interview with an employer.

  • Students will be provided with a set of contacts for potential employers and the opportunity to schedule interviews. Setting up an interview will be a task students are expected to complete independently. 

  • There are no placements, 

    • Students must set up an interview with an employer.

    • Students must be selected for hire by the employer.

    • Students must be given a start date.

  • Students who are hired by an employer and assigned a start date will be able to enroll in the related instruction class associated with their job.

  • Students will be expected to begin work on their start date and work the schedule defined by the employer.

June 6, 2026 - August 15, 2026 - Related Instruction Classes begin. Employment might be concurrent.

Important information the potential employer needs to know

1. There is no fee for your company to become a participating employer in the Apprenticeship Maryland Program. 

2. As a youth apprentice, students must be employed as a W-2 employee at minimum wage. The student must work 450 hours during the apprenticeship. Employers are responsible for submitting regular performance evaluations and providing mentorship.

3. Youth apprentices who continue to earn “On the Job Learning” hours after they graduate from high school may be eligible to become a Registered Apprentice (RA). Youth apprentices often transition into full RA, bridging high school to career, whereas RA is the continuous, long-term, nationally recognized model. 

4.  Registration of an RA must complete 2,000 hours of paid On-the-Job Training (OJT) and at least 144 hours of related classroom instruction (RCI) per year.

http://www.maryland.gov/  to see sponsor forms