Bill allows KSDE to administer Registered Teacher Apprenticeship

Gov. Laura Kelly last week signed House Bill 2292, legislation that promotes and expands apprenticeships with businesses, healthcare organizations, educational institutions and nonprofit groups through the use of tax credits and grants. 

The legislation, known as the Kansas Apprenticeship Act, also creates a matching grant program for eligible higher education institutions based on the number of engineering program graduates and also authorizes the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to administer the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship. 

“Registered apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways we can build our state’s skilled workforce,” Gov. Kelly said. “That’s why I signed this bipartisan law to build on our efforts to expand and modernize apprenticeships. Now we are preparing even more Kansans to fill the high-demand, high-wage jobs we are creating throughout the state.” 

In September 2022, Gov. Kelly established Kansas’ first Office of Registered Apprenticeship to increase the state’s workforce development efforts and meet the talent needs of businesses. Kansas lawmakers authorized $13 million in total annual funding. 

“The investments being made now will help make Kansas become a top 25 apprenticeship state by 2025, which is a long-standing goal of the Kelly administration,” Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “To reach that level, we will need to add nearly 10,000 new apprentices, and the Kansas Apprenticeship Act will help us achieve that goal.” 

Currently, there are more than 4,000 apprentices who live in Kansas. In the past year alone: 

• The number of new apprentices has almost doubled (252 to 473). 
• The number of new programs has more than doubled (5 to 12). 
• The number of new occupations added has more than doubled (19 to 47). 

The most in-demand occupations that now have apprenticeship programs established include teacher educator, phlebotomist, welding bench technician and cyber security. 

The Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship, administered by KSDE, is a four-year program during which aspiring teachers work alongside experienced educators, serving as paid apprentices in real classroom settings while earning their bachelor’s degree.  

Teacher apprentices actively participate in lesson planning, curriculum development, instruction delivery, and student assessment under the guidance of a mentor teacher. This hands-on experience allows apprentices to develop a deep understanding of effective teaching practices, classroom management techniques, and strategies for supporting diverse learners. 

More information about the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship pilot program will be released later this month. 

A full list of multi-employer intermediaries can be found here. 

The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship will have a series of statewide roundtable events with local workforce boards, joint apprenticeship training councils, multi-employer intermediaries, business and industry, and higher education.  

Announced events include: 

• July 25: Wichita. 
• July 26: Great Bend. 
• Aug. 9: Emporia. 
• Early August (exact dates to be determined): Topeka and Kansas City. 

 
The office also will be visiting established Registered Apprenticeship programs, training providers and higher education providers from Norton, Wichita, Garden City, Dodge City and Hays in late July.