The College of Education marked the first anniversary of a pilot apprenticeship program for special education teaching assistants this winter, with nearly 30 apprentices completing the program to become licensed teachers. A $500,000 Job Training and Economic Development grant covered the tuition of more than half of the apprentices who continue working and earning a paycheck while studying.

Amy Feiker Hollenbeck, chair of DePaul’s Department of Counseling and Special Education, said supporting special education teaching assistants is crucial for filling much-needed roles in schools.

“They are a great population to recruit because they want to be teachers,” Feiker Hollenbeck said. “The pipeline of high school-to-undergraduate prep can't be the premier way we prepare educators anymore.”

The College of Education is seeking more federal grants to support the program going forward, as prospective students have expressed a high interest in the apprenticeship model.