Teacher apprenticeships offer tons of benefits! You will: 

✅ Get real classroom experience while you work.

✅ Earn a paycheck as you learn and grow.

✅ Take classes that build your teaching skills.

✅ Get guidance from an experienced mentor teacher. 

✅ Follow a clear, step-by-step training plan.

✅ Build relationships with students and a school community. 

✅ Smoothly transition into your own classroom. 

Aside from apprenticeships, the two most common pathways to teaching are standard (or “traditional”) teaching programs and alternative licensure. 

In a traditional teaching program, you’ll take classes and complete an unpaid student teaching experience to earn your degree. After you graduate, you’ll start teaching in your own classroom. You can find standard teaching programs that offer both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

With alternative licensure, you’ll start teaching your own classroom right away—so, unlike an apprenticeship, you won’t have a lead teacher in the room. You’ll earn a salary and take teaching classes outside school hours. You'll need a bachelor’s degree to qualify for alternative licensure. 

The table below highlights the differences between each of these pathways! 

It depends on how much college you’ve already done. If you’re starting with no college credits, you can expect your apprenticeship to take about 4 years, the time it would take to finish your degree.

If you have at least an associate degree, you can complete your apprenticeship in 1–2 years. 

In Colorado, apprenticeships are only for people working toward bachelor’s degrees. 

Not necessarily. 

School districts, educational organizations and teaching programs decide for themselves which licensure subject areas are available through apprenticeships. The goal is to train credentialed teachers for future job needs. So, licensure subject areas vary by apprenticeship program.

Check with your local apprenticeship programs to find out which subject areas they offer! 

Apprenticeship programs generally partner with a college or university. The college or university is where you’ll take your degree coursework. You’ll take these classes outside of your work hours. 

You’ll be accepted into your college or university's teaching program before you begin your apprenticeship.

Yes! When you complete your apprenticeship program, you will have earned: 

• Your bachelor’s degree.
• Your initial Colorado teaching license. 

TEACH Colorado has you covered! Visit our Early Childhood page to learn more. You can download our detailed guides, get all your questions answered by an expert and even search for jobs!