Yes…apprenticeships have arrived. But where are they going? This presentation explores the movement of apprenticeship in the United States, specifically as it blurs the line between liberal and professional education.  

In 1850, then President of Brown University Francis Mayland wrote a report “on changes in the system of collegiate education”. He argued that liberal education was out of touch with the demands of an energetic, industrial society. As Land Grant institutions redrew the map of higher education in America, the “useful arts”  (i.e. technical, mechanical, and agricultural education) redefined postgraduate outcomes.

Today, we face a similar inflection point. Apprenticeship is an established mode of delivery that blends theoretical, foundational, and applied learning. Historically, apprenticeships have been practiced exclusively in the “useful arts”. This is changing. So called, “new collar jobs” require advanced skills, but not necessarily advanced theoretical or foundational knowledge. Many of the careers in emerging technology can be accessed through either traditional higher education institutions or apprenticeship pathways. 

In this presentation I suggest the aim of apprenticeship is not adversarial to liberal education, but complementary. I offer a model that establishes apprenticeship as a continuum: traditional, college-connected, and degree. I offer evidence to suggest the telos of apprenticeship is “apprenticeship degrees”–providing an integrated learning experience that results in both credit and postgraduate outcomes.