Biden Announces Drive To Award Credit For Apprenticeships

Career College Central summary:

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced this week the creation of a consortium of colleges and business and labor leaders that will focus on providing college credit for apprenticeships. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges, Biden said apprenticeships provide "a pathway to the middle class" for working families and "a pipeline of skilled workers for employers," and must be expanded.
There are now 375,000 workers in registered apprenticeships nationwide. To match Britain on a per-capita basis, the United States would have to add 2.5 million more slots, Biden said; to equal Germany, it would have to add seven million. The consortium, which will be jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and of Labor, will help workers enrolled in apprenticeships earn bachelor’s and associate degrees more quickly, and at a lower cost, Mr. Biden said.
Colleges that join the consortium will agree to provide credit to workers who complete participating programs. The amount of credit will be determined by a third-party evaluator, such as the American Council on Education or the National College Credit Recommendation Service.

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