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Is Apprenticeship the Key to Bridging the Experience Gap in Education?

This episode of 'The Future of Education: Class Disrupted' examines apprenticeship as a transformative alternative to traditional college pathways. Guest Ryan Craig, Managing Director at Achieve Partners, argues that apprenticeships uniquely bridge the experience gap in education by offering paid, on-the-job training with built-in career progression. The conversation explores how these programs can level the playing field and better prepare students for the modern workforce.

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By Michael B. Horn · Achieve PartnersDiane TavennerEducation SolutionsFuture of Education: Class Disrupted
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Key takeaways

01

Apprenticeships are jobs first — they provide a living wage alongside formal and informal training, distinguishing them from unpaid internships or classroom-only education.

02

Ryan Craig argues apprenticeship is the only alternative pathway that truly levels the playing field for students who cannot afford or benefit from traditional college.

03

Bridging the experience gap requires rethinking workforce development as an integral part of educational reform, not a separate track.

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Apprenticeship could be the perfect solution to moving the needle and bridging the experience gap in education.

As education stands at a crossroads between educational reform and workforce development, how can apprenticeship programs revolutionize the approach to equipping the next generation for the evolving job market?

In an insightful episode of The Future of Education: Class Disrupted, hosted by Michael B. Horn and Diane Tavenner, guest Ryan Craig, the Managing Director at Achieve Partners, explores the transformative potential of apprenticeships. This discussion teases a critical perspective on apprenticeship as a viable alternative to the traditional college pathway, highlighting its role in addressing the experience gap in education today.

"Apprenticeship is really the only alternative pathway that truly levels the playing field because it's a job," Craig said. "An apprenticeship is a job, first and foremost, where you're being paid a living wage and you have built in formal and informal training as well as wage and career progression with the apprenticeship."

An apprenticeship is a job, first and foremost, where you're being paid a living wage and you have built in formal and informal training as well as wage and career progression with the apprenticeship.
— Ryan Craig, Managing Director at Achieve Partners

This statement underscores the unique value of apprenticeships in providing practical, paid experience alongside education, thereby equipping individuals with the skills and expertise needed in the modern workforce.

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About the author

Michael B. Horn
Michael B. HornSpeaker, Writer & Advisor on the Future of Education, Clayton Christensen Institute

Michael Horn speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, and host of the Future of Education podcast on MarketScale.

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About the Experts

Michael B. Horn headshot
Michael B. Horn

Co-founder, Clayton Christensen Institute; Author and Education Researcher

Clayton Christensen Institute

Michael B. Horn is a co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and a leading voice on the future of education and disruptive innovation. He is the author of several books on education reform, including 'Disrupting Class' and 'Choosing College.' Horn hosts the podcast 'The Future of Education: Class Disrupted' and advises educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs on transforming learning.

RC
Ryan Craig

Managing Director

Achieve Partners

Ryan Craig is Managing Director at Achieve Partners, an investment firm focused on workforce-oriented education and training. He is an advocate for apprenticeship and alternative pathways to employment and is the author of works examining the gap between higher education and workforce readiness.

DT
Diane Tavenner

Co-host; Founder and CEO

Summit Public Schools

Diane Tavenner is the founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, a network of charter schools in California and Washington. She co-hosts 'The Future of Education: Class Disrupted' alongside Michael B. Horn and is a prominent advocate for personalized learning and education reform.

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