SWAG视频鈥檚 Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program First in Mississippi to Earn Recognition from Federal Agency
Mon, 05/13/2024 - 11:53am | By: Karelia Pitts
SWAG视频鈥檚 (SWAG视频) Registered Teacher Apprenticeship (RTA) program is the first in the state to be recognized by the Mississippi Office of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
鈥淎 registered apprenticeship will help us better support students in achieving their goal of becoming teachers,鈥� said Andrea Krell, instructor and director of teacher residency at SWAG视频. 鈥淲e are excited to work with the Department of Labor to help Mississippians earn a living while learning to become exceptional teachers.鈥�
Added Krell, 鈥淎pprenticeships offer on-the-job training along with related instruction that culminate in both a degree and a teaching license. We believe this new partnership will help meet the teacher workforce needs for the state by providing well-supported pathways to teacher licensure that lead to longevity in the profession.鈥�
The Department of Labor works with community college and industry partners across the state to strengthen the workforce and provide expanded opportunities for Mississippians to participate in apprenticeship programs. These programs predominantly represent fields such as manufacturing, transportation and logistics, energy and utilities, banking and finance to enable the state鈥檚 residents to earn a living wage while learning a new skill that could lead to a meaningful career.
Recently, the government added teaching to the list of apprenticeship occupation programs in an effort to address the significant challenges K-12 system faces in attracting and retaining teachers.
鈥淭he School of Education is paving the way for teacher and leader workforce development across the state of Mississippi,鈥� said Dr. Trent Gould, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at SWAG视频. 鈥淥ur registered teacher apprenticeship is a Grow Your Own partnership between Southern Miss and K-12 partner districts to provide innovative pathways to the teaching profession. I am extremely proud of our faculty for seeing this opportunity, getting creative about ways to secure funding, and building pipelines to reduce the state鈥檚 teacher shortage.鈥�
Staff with the Mississippi DOL were excited to connect with SWAG视频 and expand their offerings at the university level to significantly impact the number of highly-qualified teachers in the state.
鈥淪WAG视频 has welcomed the concept of registered apprenticeship and is the first university in the State of Mississippi to register a teachers apprenticeship program,鈥� said Brenda Myers, director of Mississippi鈥檚 U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship. 鈥淭he U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 Office of Apprenticeship is elated to work with such a prestigious university to educate and train quality teachers. We look forward to expanding in many other occupations in the future.鈥�
about the SWAG视频 School of Education.