The opportunity: elevate the role of community colleges in creating a more equitable and inclusive workforce. The problem: associate of applied science (AAS) degrees in tech and business often don’t lead directly to employment, as intended, and community college students often don’t have access to great first jobs in tech and business. The solution: embed credit-bearing, paid college apprenticeships into degrees aligned with high-demand jobs in partnership with local employers. The result: transformation for the colleges, companies and the lives of low-income students and their families.
In designing the first-of-its-kind community college apprenticeship program, the New York Jobs CEO Council (Jobs Council) — which aims to advance the economic prosperity of low-income New Yorkers, particularly communities of color, to build a more equitable and inclusive workforce — served as a bridge between the community colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY) and member companies in the council. College and company partners agreed to embed credit-bearing, paid apprenticeships into targeted AAS degrees to create a structured career pathway into specific jobs at partner companies.
The design required colleges to shift nine of the 60 credits in the degree from the classroom to the workplace, equating work for college credit. Faculty convinced their colleagues of the value of embedding workplace-based learning in the curriculum, with an explicit focus on preparing students for in-demand jobs.
The strategy required the companies to allocate headcount to hire community college students as apprentices with a direct line to full-time employment after successful completion of agreed upon milestones. Partner company leaders convinced hiring managers of the value of opening the talent pool to highly diverse and motivated associate degree students — some hiring community college graduates for the first time.
A team approach
Shared design principles for all stakeholders guided the entire process. The college apprenticeship partnerships are job- and equity-focused, with apprenticeship curriculum and assessment co-designed by faculty and company representatives. The Jobs Council worked with member companies to identify high-demand, entry-level jobs with family-sustaining wages, then recruited CUNY community college faculty in targeted AAS degrees and company subject matter experts to backward map from the technical and professional skills requirements of the jobs to co-design the apprenticeship and redesign the degree.
Company input impacted the overall curriculum of targeted AAS degrees to better align assignments and assessments with industry expectations. Based on the feedback and requirements of the apprenticeship job role, faculty determined the nine credits to shift from the classroom to the workplace. Work-based learning outcomes were aligned with learning outcomes in courses shifted to the apprenticeship, so the assessment of apprenticeship performance satisfies both the human resources requirement of partner companies and the evaluation for college credit requirements.
Colleges and companies jointly determined the most effective length and timing for the apprenticeship given two models proposed by the Jobs Council — generally after 30 credits accumulated for the two-semester model or after 45 credits for the one-semester model. Colleges followed local governance procedures to approve degree program changes shifting nine credits from the classroom to the workplace, including processes needed for student registration and enrollment in the workplace-based credits as part of degree requirements to ensure continued access to financial aid.
Apprenticeship recruitment, application and selection processes were jointly developed by the college and partner company; candidates must meet eligibility requirements, including being able to work in the U.S. and must commit to full-time employment after a successful apprenticeship (which does not preclude continuing education part-time toward a baccalaureate degree, often supported by the company through tuition reimbursement programs). Final selection and hiring of apprentices rests with the partner company.
Colleges and companies have co-designed additional elements necessary for effective student preparation and a bridge from classroom-based learning to workplace-based learning, including summer boot camps and professional skills development. Companies ensure targeted onboarding, early career support and mentoring for apprentices, and appropriate training and support for apprentice supervisors.
The Jobs Council established a College Apprenticeship Advisory Board comprised of companies hosting apprentices (as well as those interested) to ensure ongoing mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and determine strategies to scale. Current efforts are underway to expand the number of companies hosting apprentices and the number of redesigned associate degrees with embedded, credit-bearing apprenticeships. Recruiting the third cohort of apprentices features a newly designed collective recruitment process across CUNY colleges and companies, creating larger pools of candidates in tech and business tracks.
The College Apprenticeship program is bolstered by ongoing faculty development supported by the Jobs Council and member companies. The Faculty Fellowship in Practice-Based Teaching and Learning prepares CUNY faculty to become expert practitioners and pedagogical leaders in practice-based teaching and learning to better prepare students for great first jobs. The fellowship includes a summer intensive featuring presentations by Jobs Council member company recruiters to provide an overview of entry-level jobs and recruitment timelines, processes and skills expectations.
Producing results
The results of the College Apprenticeship program have been transformational. The colleges redesigned curriculum and pedagogy aligned with in-demand jobs.
“We’ve changed our programs to meet the skills the companies need,” said Howard Clampman, chair of the business and information systems department at Bronx Community College. Dionne Miller, associate dean for academic affairs at LaGuardia Community College, added: “It is hard to overstate the value of apprenticeships for our students. Many of them have the potential, skills and motivation to excel, but lack the social capital to gain access to the valuable learning and networking opportunities that apprenticeships provide.”
The companies created new talent acquisition pipelines for greater diversity and inclusion. Alysia Steinmann, Metro New York Office managing partner at Ernst & Young said, “Going beyond our traditional methods of recruiting, these programs expand our reach and provide us with the chance to meet students from different backgrounds. Having these diverse perspectives is what helps us solve our clients’ most difficult challenges. These programs enable us to reach a previously untapped, yet highly skilled talent pool that is right here in New York City.”
The greatest transformation is for the students and their families. Students completed their degrees on an apprenticeship pathway to immediate employment without additional time necessary outside degree requirements.
“There’s school and there’s the actual work environment,” explained Juan Paredes, Mastercard apprentice from LaGuardia Community College.
Impressive conversion rates from apprentice to full-time hire prove the model’s efficacy. College Apprenticeships provide access to family-sustaining career pathways previously closed to community college students.
Particularly in the context of an increased focus on skills-based hiring and long-standing undervaluing of the associate degree in the corporate workplace, the College Apprenticeship creates a proven and unique value proposition for community colleges. Embedding paid, credit-bearing apprenticeships into targeted degrees is highly replicable and sustainable, with long-term effects altering the “education to work” ecosystem. Credit for work is the future of education and vital to the work of creating a more equitable and inclusive workforce, opening the door to diverse local talent.
