More than 5,200 students are currently enrolled in the state’s Teaching as a Profession (TAP) apprenticeship program and the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) anticipates that number to increase with the implementation of a new pre-apprenticeship pilot program.The state-certified pre-apprenticeship program aims to provide high school students with hands on teaching experience in their local communities.“TAP courses are a valuable opportunity for students to get hands-on classroom experience while still in high school and this new pilot program will help to better prepare them earlier on to enter the teaching profession,” said TDOE Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds.Pre-apprenticeships are programs, or a set of strategies, designed to prepare individuals for entry into job opportunities or registered apprenticeship programs. TAP’s pre-apprenticeship pilot intends to equip aspiring educators with the tools, knowledge, and experience to pursue and excel in teaching careers.The program will also serve as a teacher talent pipeline through partnerships between local high schools and community colleges to produce highly qualified teaching candidates.TDOE partnered with the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center to select seven Tennessee school districts to participate in the pilot program.The seven districts selected are:¶
- Lewis County Schools
- Lawrence County Schools
- Bristol City Schools
- Kingsport City Schools
- Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools
- Bradley County Schools
- Memphis-Shelby County Schools
TAP is an apprenticeship program designed to give high school students that are interested in becoming educators a high-quality, work-based learning pathway through hands-on work experience in classroom instruction, management, lesson planning, and professionalism.The new pilot continues the celebration of last week’s National Apprenticeship Week, a weeklong event that highlighted how apprenticeship programs address labor market challenges and build a stronger workforce.¶
