U-RAPT Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This page answers your questions about the Utah Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers (U-RAPT). This program helps you earn your teaching license by showing what you know and learn on the job, rather than just sitting in a classroom.

What you will find here:

  • U-RAPT Basics:  Defines the U-RAPT, the different types of participants (Apprentice, Pre-Apprentice, Youth Apprentice), and their requirements, including on-the-job learning hours and the completion of an Individualized Professional Licensing Plan (IPLP).

  • Partnerships:  Understand the required roles and responsibilities of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) as employer partners and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) as related instruction providers.

  • Mentorships: Details on the "Journeyworkers" who will guide your on-the-job training.

  • Pay and Funding:  Information on wages, tuition help, and program costs.

Utah Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers (U-RAPT), which is a competency-based program (R277-333. Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers).

Per R277-333

(1)(a) “Apprentice” means a paid employee who participates in structured on-the-job learning to prepare for a successful career as a teacher.

(b) An apprentice earns a progressive wage as their skills and productivity increase.

(c) An apprentice may not be a teacher of record or long-term substitute teacher for an LEA.

An apprentice is expected to meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 18-years-old
  • Be employed by an LEA (Local Education Agency, district or charter) as an apprentice either full time or part time
  • Apply to the U-RAPT
  • Identify a related instruction provider
  • Complete 1000 hours of on the job learning with a qualified mentor
  • Not serve as the teacher of record and only serve as substitute teacher for their mentor on a limited basis
  • Complete all components of the Individualized Professional Licensing Plan (IPLP) developed with a transcript review
  • Participate in related instruction as outlined by the IPLP for the completion of a bachelor’s degree
  • Successfully demonstrate the 37 General Education Teacher Competencies (R277-304)
  • Graduated compensation based on demonstration of competencies
  • Reimbursement of up to $10,000 per year for related instruction costs
  • Licensing Areas:
  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Special Education
  • Preschool Special Education
  • Deaf Education
  • Early Childhood Education

  • Apprentice - individual with the equivalent of an associate’s degree ready to participate in on-the-job learning to demonstrate the General Teacher Preparation Competencies in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and professional educator license
  • Pre-Apprentice - individual who needs to earn the equivalent of an associate’s degree and participate in on-the-job learning to demonstrate the Utah Standards for Instructional Paraeducators
  • Youth Apprentice - individual in high school who will begin working on the expectations same as the pre-apprentice through concurrent enrollment (Program in development).

This phase of the overall apprenticeship program is to establish apprentices and pre-apprentices this year and expand to youth apprentices soon. Initially, the youth apprenticeship will allow current high school students in the CTE Teaching as a Profession pathway.

Apprentices are expected to complete the related instruction outlined in their Individual Professional Learning Plan (IPLP) developed by the U-RAPT as a requirement of program completion to be awarded a professional educator license. This will include taking courses through the IHE/related instruction provider to complete either the equivalent of an associate’s degree (pre-apprentice) or a bachelor’s degree (apprentice).

The main difference between the Apprenticeship Program (U-RAPT), Alternative Pathway to Professional Educator License (APPEL) and a traditional university teaching program is the sequence of employment and training.

  • Apprenticeship programs allow you to work in a school in a non-teacher job, learning how to be a teacher while completing concurrent college coursework. When you finish the apprenticeship you will have a bachelor's degree and professional license.
  • APPEL is an "on-the-job" model for those who already hold a bachelor’s degree; you are hired as a full-time, salaried teacher under a temporary license and complete your training while you work.
  • Traditional programs typically require you to complete several years of university coursework and a student-teaching semester before being eligible for a professional license and a full-time job.

Benefits will depend upon the employer partner. The major differences between AEL candidates and apprentices are:

  • Apprentices do not need to have a bachelor’s degree and those without bachelor’s degrees may not apply for an AEL.
  • Apprentices will not serve as the teacher of record or long-term sub. 
  • Apprentices will work directly with a journeyworker teacher to complete the on-the-job learning requirement of the program.

Identical to regular teacher induction for the first three years they are a licensed teacher in Utah.

The U-RAPT will provide oversight as the intermediary sponsor which includes managing documentation and partners in the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program Information Data System (RAPIDS). 

The college or university will serve as the entity to award credit towards the associate’s degree for the pre-apprentice and the bachelor’s degree for the apprentice. They will serve as the educator preparation program (EPP) and make the recommendation for licensure.

The related instruction provider will serve as the educator preparation program (EPP) and make the recommendation for licensure. The employer partner will not make the recommendation.

Coursework depends on the individual pre-apprentice/apprentice following a transcript review to create the IPLP. Related instruction must be completed to meet all program requirements to complete the general education credits and state license requirements and to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Colleges and universities must have their home base in Utah. They can be approved as a related instruction provider after meeting with the U-RAPT Team. Email them for more information at urapt@schools.utah.gov. 

Yes, the student will be enrolled in the institution's teacher preparation program.

Each university or college may award credit for competency towards the bachelor’s degree for skills demonstrated during on-the-job learning.

LEAs serve as the employer partner and are required to treat the pre-apprentice and apprentice as one of their employees, including pay, HR support, and any provided benefits. Pre-apprentices and apprentices may be at-will employees.

School districts and charters will use the Evaluation of the Standards for Instructional Paraeducators (ESIP) to evaluate the pre-apprentices and the Student Teaching Evaluation Rubric (STER) to evaluate apprentices. Evaluations are to be conducted no less than twice a year for the duration of the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship.

The school district or charter school will support the pre-apprentice and apprentice with progress as outlined on their IPLP, provide supervision and ongoing training, evaluate competencies, and follow laws/rules.

The pre-apprentice’s job is to complete related instruction to earn the equivalent of an associate’s degree and demonstrate competency of the Utah Standards for Instructional Paraeducators through on-the-job learning. The apprentice’s job is to learn how to be a teacher as they simultaneously complete related instruction to earn a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate the General Teacher Preparation Competencies.

On a very limited basis in their journeyworker teacher’s classroom; apprentices may not be assigned a long-term sub.

The employer partner will be responsible for paying each participants wages on the graduated scale. The Grow Your Own Educator Grant program may off-set some of these expenses.

Mentors in the U-RAPT are referred to as journeyworkers. For the pre-apprentice the term is journeyworker paraeducator. The minimum qualifications to serve in these roles are as follows:

  • Journeyworker Paraeducators must have an earned associate’s degree or pass one of the board-approved paraprofessional assessments.
  • Journeyworker Teachers must have:
    • professional educator license,
    • at least 3 years teaching experience in the same area that the apprentice is seeking their license,
    • assignment as a teacher of record, and
    • a mentor, coaching, or journeyworker endorsement.

Journeyworker Paraeducator: Provide oversight of a pre-apprentice’s on-the-job learning as they learn to become a highly-qualified paraeducator.

Journeyworker Teacher: Provide oversight of an apprentice’s on-the-job learning and support the development of all aspects of teaching, including:

  • Lesson planning, delivery, reflection, adjustment.
  • Assessment and feedback
  • Self-reflection
  • Establishing an equitable learning environment
  • Development of professional practices and conduct
  • Etc.

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications to serve as a journeyworker paraeducator or a  journeyworker teacher, journeyworkers will receive role-specific orientation training to outline their duties.

Each journeyworker will have the opportunity to participate in a monthly community of practice to keep journeyworker paraeducators and journeyworker teachers connected as a group, provide current information, and real-time support for supporting pre-apprentices and apprentices.

Yes.

The journeyworker paraeducator will receive training on how to assess the pre-apprentice so they can provide input to the administrator who will finalize all evaluations.

Journeyworker teachers are a new role and different from mentor teachers. They will be expected to conduct the assessment for the demonstration of competency for the apprentices in collaboration with the administrator and the apprentice themselves.

The employer partner (school district or charter) pays each pre-apprentice on their established U-RAPT pay scale based on the number of hours the pre-apprentice has worked in the U-RAPT program. The state minimums are:

  • 1st 1000 hours at least $7.75/hr
  • 2nd 1000 hours at least $8.73/hr
  • 3rd 1000 hours at least $9.30/hr
  • 4th 1000 hours at least $10.08/hr

The employer partner (school district or charter) pays each pre-apprentice on their established U-RAPT pay scale based on the number of general teacher preparation competencies the apprentice has demonstrated. The state minimums are:

  • 0-20 competencies at least $18.21/hr
  • 21-29 competencies at least $22.18/hr
  • 30-37 competencies at least $26.49/hr

There are several options for apprentices and employers, including: FAFSA, GI Bill, WIOA, Grow Your Own Educator Grant Program, IDEA funding, Title II, MASTR Grant Program, and other scholarships available from colleges/universities or private organizations.

All federal funding ends June 30, 2026. All requests for payment must be submitted to Utah Grants on or before June 30, 2026.

More Questions?

Please contact the U-RAPT Team

urapt@schools.utah.gov