The TN apprenticeship program is a unique initial teacher licensure pathway for current employees of K-12 schools in our partnering school districts.
Benefits of Apprenticeship
Low cost tuition assistance.. After you have applied your awarded FAFSA and other grants available for aspiring teachers the state of TN supplies a grant which reduces the tuition costs for your degree or license.
Your courses have been specially planned out and tailored to fit your work schedule. The courses you will take while at UTC will be scheduled either in the evenings or online allowing you to continue working in your school.
Opportunities for on-the-job learning and practice with your assigned school-based mentor teacher. You will have a unique opportunity to observe, practice, and perfect the skills and content you’ll be learning about during your coursework with the assistance of your assigned mentor teacher.
Your job is your field experience. Because you are an apprentice working in a school with students, there will be no need to quit your job to fulfill the traditional student teaching/internship hours.
Teacher apprentices are employed by the school district—typically in a paraprofessional or educational assistant role—while they progress in their competencies towards program completion.
Apprentices are paired with a mentor teacher and learn through their on-the-job experiences.
Teacher apprentices are NOT the teacher of record, and candidates earn a progressive wage while working in the district and taking related coursework through an EPP partner. (TDOE GYO Info Sheet, Feb 2023)
Met the state credential requirements to become a licensed teacher;
Fully completed their related instruction or EPP sequence of courses;
Fully completed their structured, on-the-job student teaching experience;
Met any other requirements partnerships require in their apprenticeship program.
Beginning Fall 2024, the GYO grant became a tuition assistance program. Undergraduates are awarded assistance for two year and graduates for one year.