Rural Teaching Apprenticeship Grant

The Rural Teaching Apprenticeship Grant aims to address educator shortages in rural Georgia by funding registered teaching apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. With a total funding pool of $2,168,125, this initiative supports mentorship, tuition, and services essential for creating robust teaching programs. By establishing pathways for aspiring educators, the grant enhances the teacher pipeline, providing high school students with practical skills and a clear route to certification and a teaching career.

Grant Purpose
The purpose of the Rural Teaching Apprenticeship Grant is to support the development and expansion of registered teaching apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in rural Georgia by providing funding for the instruction, mentorship, and supportive services needed to create and sustain a registered teaching apprenticeship program. The creation of registered teaching apprenticeship programs will address educator shortages by filling teacher pipelines through a new pathway to becoming an educator.
The Rural Teaching Apprenticeship Grant is intended to support the development and expansion of registered teaching apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in rural Georgia. A maximum of $2,168,125 will be awarded in grants, with up to $173,450 per LEA that is an approved employer under the Georgia Registered Teaching Apprenticeship Program.
Program Description
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has recently launched the Georgia Registered Teaching Apprenticeship Program (GaRTAP), the first statewide K-12 Teaching Apprentice Sponsorship in Georgia. GaRTAP addresses the critical teacher shortages in the state by strengthening the teacher pipeline. It provides a new pathway into education, allowing candidates to earn a salary and gain mentored, on-the-job experience while working toward a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification.
The Rural Teacher Apprenticeship Grant, part of the Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Building America Grant, aims to establish and expand pre-apprenticeship programs and Registered Teaching Apprenticeship Programs (RTAPs) aligned with the education system. The grant will fund the development and expansion of registered teaching apprenticeships under GaRTAP and pre-apprenticeships in rural Georgia. This funding may cover tuition and fees, mentorship, and supportive services needed to sustain these programs. Additionally, the grant will support the development of teaching pre-apprenticeships and the expansion of Education as a Profession and Early Childhood Education in rural high schools. This will provide high school students with industry exposure, practical skills, and a clear path toward a career in education, including the opportunity to join a registered teaching apprenticeship program after graduation.