The Slow Rise of the Apprenticeship Degree

Original Article by By Kelly Field published in The Chronicle on June 2, 2025

In her article published in The Chronicle, Kelly Field highlights the advantages of Apprenticeship Degrees which are currently popular in parts of Europe but only just gaining traction in the United States, particularly withing the education sector.

Apprenticeship degrees combine paid on-the-job training with a college degree and has the potential to open up higher education to many in a variety of fields who cannot afford to stop working in order to attend college.

“It could be a path to upward mobility for millions,” said Eric Dunker, chief growth officer and head of Reach’s National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree, which made its debut last year with the goal of promoting the degrees to other groups. The center hopes to see three million apprenticeship-degree enrollments by 2035.

The Apprenticeship Degree has the potential to offer a practical solution to a range of problems experienced in higher education and the economy, particularly addressing debt incurred by higher education students as well as potentially addressing unskilled labour.

Apprenticeship degrees are an idea imported from the United Kingdom, which started offering “degree apprenticeships” just under a decade ago. Last year, nearly 90 universities in England and Wales offered programs in fields as varied as engineering, health care, law, and business. More than 36,000 new students enrolled in the programs.