$5.5 Million Federal Grant Will Help WGU Train 500 Teachers in N.C.

Teacher assistants, substitutes and other school employees in 15-20 North Carolina districts will be able to become licensed teachers while keeping their jobs and paychecks, through a five-year, $5.5 million federal grant awarded to Western Governors University (WGU) and its apprenticeship organization Craft Education, in partnership with The Innovation Project.

North Carolina districts began this school year with 2,009 teacher vacancies, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. Many school employees want to teach, but leaving a paycheck to finish a degree and student teach puts that goal out of reach.

The North Carolina Teacher Apprenticeship and Workforce Advancement Initiative is built to remove that barrier. It will prepare 500 teacher apprentices and train 250 mentor teachers, beginning in fall 2027.

The Innovation Project, a North Carolina-based collaborative of public-school districts, will serve as the registered apprenticeship sponsor for all participating districts. WGU's School of Education will provide the coursework, and Craft Education will manage apprenticeship operations, from mentor support to federal reporting.

Apprentices will stay employed by their districts, work alongside mentor teachers and complete the final 60 credits of a WGU bachelor's degree in elementary or special education. They will also complete a North Carolina teaching license and a Registered Apprenticeship credential.