The Appalachian Educator EmPOWERment Consortium will begin accepting applications on January 21, 2025 for a new two-year Apprenticeship Program beginning in the Fall of 2025. This immersive on-the-job teacher apprenticeship program aims to address the teacher shortage and support those interested in entering the teaching profession by offering hands-on classroom experience paired with coaching and mentoring from experienced teachers. The first cohort of 27 participants will be assigned to a classroom and will “earn while they learn” by being employed by the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center (OVESC). Teacher Apprentices will work Monday through Thursday at their assigned school and participate in seminar programs on Fridays to foster collaboration within the cohort. Meanwhile, the apprentices will complete the final two years of college coursework toward a degree and licensure in Elementary Education, Special Education, or a combination of both with our partner institutions. Upon completion of the program, participants will agree to work within the service region for three years.
EmPOWERment Apprentices complete the first 60 semester hours while in high school and/or at Washington State College of Ohio or Zane State College before transferring to Muskingum University or Franklin University to complete the final 60 semester hours. After acceptance into the Apprenticeship Program for their final two years, apprentices will be paid as substitute teachers while gaining valuable experience working alongside a veteran experienced teacher. This program allows participants to earn a paycheck while completing a licensure program and taking a full college course load. Traditional programs do not pay students while they are student teachers.
Applications will be accepted through March 14, 2025, and candidates will be notified of their acceptance into the program by May 1st.
The Appalachian Educator EmPOWERment Consortium, led by Ohio Valley ESC, includes East Central Ohio ESC, Franklin University, Muskingum University, Muskingum Valley ESC, Washington State College of Ohio, and Zane State College. The consortium has been awarded $1.75 million by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to train and retain teachers in coal-impacted communities in southeastern Ohio. This award is part of a recently announced $68.2 million award package supporting 65 projects in 188 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries.
