NJCU Teacher Apprentice Program Achieves National Recognition as Certified Registered Apprentice Program
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU) and its Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education celebrated a milestone achievement on October 9, 2025 with a signing ceremony recognizing the Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP) as an officially certified Registered Apprentice Program under the United States Department of Labor.
This national recognition affirms NJCU's innovative approach to teacher preparation and its commitment to providing students with meaningful, paid experiential learning opportunities.
TAP provides NJCU students majoring in education the opportunity to work alongside experienced teachers as paid apprentices in real classrooms throughout their college career. This "earn while they learn" model has already benefited hundreds of NJCU students, allowing them to apply what they learn in university classes to real-world teaching experiences.
Apprentices can begin working as early as their freshman year, giving them four full years of classroom experience in addition to the clinical component of their teacher preparation program. Starting with individual and small group instruction, apprentices progressively advance to whole classroom teaching while participating in a professional development series designed to foster a lifelong learning mindset.
"This national recognition validates what we've known for years—that NJCU is leading the way in reimagining teacher preparation," said NJCU President Andres Acebo. "Our Teacher Apprentice Program doesn't just prepare future educators; it transforms lives by giving students the opportunity to earn income while gaining invaluable classroom experience. Teacher preparation has been central to our mission since our founding nearly a century ago as a normal school, and TAP honors that legacy while advancing it for the 21st century. We're proud to work alongside our K-12 partners to strengthen New Jersey's teaching workforce and create pathways to success for our students."
Interim Provost Donna Adair added, "John Dewey taught us that education is not preparation for life—education is life itself. TAP exemplifies this philosophy by immersing our students in authentic teaching experiences from day one. This program prepares highly qualified, classroom-ready teachers who understand that learning by doing creates the foundation for educational excellence."
The program is directed by Dr. Michelle Rosen, Professor and Chair of the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education's Department of Teaching, Learning and Literacy, with Dr. Mary McGriff, Interim Dean, serving as Professional Development Director. Under their leadership since 2016, the program has tripled in size and currently supports 71 apprentices working in partner schools.
"This program, one of a kind in the state, offers NJCU students an opportunity to learn real-life skills in real-life classrooms throughout their entire college career while earning money for their work," said Dr. Rosen. "We have seen the highest retention rate at NJCU, high GPA status, and more engagement in university classes amongst our apprentices. We see ourselves as a family—supportive of each other, celebrating the wins and lifting each other up through the challenges. We see them presenting at local, state, and national conferences proudly representing TAP and NJCU!"
Dean McGriff noted: “It is a privilege to partner with local schools in helping us prepare skilled, caring educators. As our apprentices learn from outstanding mentor teachers, they are also providing vital learning support to kindergarten to 12th grade students in these schools. It is an ideal combination.”
NJCU collaborates with 12 K-12 partner schools that employ students as apprentices: BelovED Charter School (Jersey City), HOLA Dual Language Charter School, Jersey City Global Charter School, Learning Community Charter School, Link Community Charter School (Newark), Maria Varisco-Rogers Charter School (Newark), New Horizons Community Charter School (Newark), Robert Treat Academy Charter School (Newark), The Ethical Community Charter School (Jersey City), Soaring Heights Charter School (Jersey City), University Academy Charter High School (Jersey City), and Union City Public Schools.
The U.S. Department of Labor's certification recognizes programs that meet rigorous national standards for apprenticeship training, ensuring high-quality preparation for the teaching profession.
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, NJCU is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.
Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301