Transforming Teacher Preparation in Michigan
Scaling the Gold Standard of Teacher Preparation
Talent Together, a consortium of every Intermediate School District (ISD), is leading a new approach to solve the teacher shortage in Michigan: a registered teacher apprenticeship program that combines rigorous training with real-world classroom experience and removes the financial barriers that keep so many promising educators out of the profession. Craft Connect serves as a key infrastructure partner to this gold standard of teacher training, enabling the program’s scale and success.
Challenge
With over 140 apprentices in the last two years and expecting approximately 150 this fall, Talent Together manages a complex web of logistics, compliance, and documentation. Funding is the most significant hurdle new programs like Talent Together face, and it’s often why organizations choose not to pursue apprenticeships.
Insight
Each apprentice represents approximately 10 hours of administrative work—from eligibility verification to placement coordination, to registering standards with the Department of Labor (DOL), and closing out the year with transcripts and certifications.
Solution
Craft configured its platform to manage that scale by meeting RAP standards, including Work Process Schedules and Related Instruction Outlines, enabling and documenting mentor approvals, and ensuring DOL-compliant registration.
"Reflecting on year one outcomes from Talent Together, I see that so much of it would not have been possible without Craft. The pipeline for apprentices is REAL here in Michigan. Between Cohorts 1 and 2, we are adding over 1,350 teachers to the educator workforce pipeline."
When Mission Meets Method at Scale
Talent Together is proving that with the proper structure, support, and technology, it's possible to make teacher preparation more rigorous, more effective, and more accessible to our most promising teaching candidates. Their apprenticeship model is more than a workaround to a staffing shortage—it’s a blueprint for fixing the teacher shortage nationwide.
funding from the MI State Legislature
