SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education voted to adopt R277‑333, establishing a registered‑apprenticeship program for teachers that uses a Department of Labor apprenticeship structure to prepare and credential educators.

Board staff told members the rule implements a federal grant and an interagency agreement with the Department of Workforce Services and the U.S. Department of Labor. The program will allow districts and other employing partners to register apprentices, pay mentors, and track completion in the Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS). Executive coordinator Malia Hite told the board the Department of Labor will count enrolled apprentices and track completion for grant reporting.

The rule requires apprentices to meet the board’s pedagogical competencies and the applicable content-area competencies for the endorsement sought. The board clarified funding language during floor discussion to make stipend language consistent across paragraphs, and staff confirmed final editorial adjustments would be made to align both references to mentor stipend funding.

The board approved the rule after discussion of quality controls and content‑specific competency requirements. A majority supported the rule, with two members voting against it; staff said the board will continue working with the Department of Labor and local partners to refine implementation details.

Supporters said the apprenticeship pathway offers a strategy for growing the educator pipeline by combining paid, on‑the‑job experience with coursework and competency validation; opponents raised concerns about maintaining content‑area rigor and protecting educator standards.

The rule now moves to implementation, where the state will sign the apprenticeship agreement and allow employing partners to enroll apprentices; staff expect a phased rollout under the federal grant.