Next Steps at Vanderbilt has received a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to enhance and expand its ground-breaking apprenticeship program. Next Steps, a four-year postsecondary education program for neurodiverse students, began offering a registered apprenticeship program in early childhood education several years ago and now will be able to expand into several high-demand employment sectors.
The Next Steps team will also create a toolkit that can be used by other inclusive postsecondary education programs (IPSE) to create their own Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs). Approximately 360 colleges and universities have IPSEs, with more than 8,000 students attending. Research from 2019 found that adults with ID who have paid employment while attending are 15 times more likely to have a paid job when they graduate from the program. Registered Apprenticeship Programs not only offer paid employment, but also a credential for that industry.
Meghan M. Burke, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Meghan Burke, Ph.D., BCBA-D, professor of special education, who is the grant’s principal investigator, said, “Apprenticeships offer an exceptional model for neurodiverse learners to pursue meaningful employment, earning a credential that is nationally recognized along the way.” Ariana Amaya, OTD, director of Next Steps at Vanderbilt, is serving as one of the co-principal investigators for this project.
Lindsay Krech, Ed.D., director of Resource Development and Dissemination for Next Steps and a co-investigator for the grant, has seen the value of the current apprenticeship program and sees the importance of other college programs creating similar apprenticeship opportunities.
Lindsay Krech, Ed.D.
“Adults with intellectual disability in the United States face disproportionate rates of unemployment and underemployment,” Krech said. “Registered Apprenticeship Programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, offer an established model for gaining competitive employment through paid on-the-job learning, structured learning and mentorship, and supplemental education.”
In addition to the early childhood education apprenticeship, Next Steps has launched a K-8 teacher’s aide apprenticeship pathway and is in the process of devising a public sector apprenticeship. Soon, Next Steps will develop Registered Apprenticeship Programs in information technologies, hospitality and the health care economy. Next Steps is continuing to seek out partners within these industries. Businesses interested in the Registered Apprenticeship Program can contact Megan Macon, director of Career Development and Apprenticeships for Next Steps and a co-investigator, at megan.macon@vanderbilt.edu.
Rachel Williams, a 2023 Next Steps graduate, is now a preschool teacher at Weekday Early Edition Preschool at the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville. She served as an apprentice at the Acorn School, a childcare center that serves Vanderbilt faculty, staff and students, for two years, then worked there as an employee for a time after graduating.
Rachel Williams
“I worked for the Acorn School as a teaching assistant after graduating,” Williams said. “Then I wanted to move closer to my family in Hendersonville. I got the first job I applied for, and they said that my work experience and apprenticeship made my application stand out.”
During Williams’ apprenticeship, she made lesson plans, led center time, paid close attention to safety in and outside of the classroom, modeled conversation skills and compassionate behavior, and helped with classroom organization.
Another apprenticeship site is the Susan Gray School, also on the Vanderbilt campus. Katherine Newman, director of the Susan Gray School, said the apprenticeship program with Next Steps appealed to her because the school is a preschool that includes children with disabilities.
“One of our guiding values is fostering an environment for all individuals whether they are children who learn and play in our classrooms or adults who learn important pre-employment skills,” Newman said. “We are proud to be an program that supports individuals with disabilities from childhood to adulthood. We also love welcoming Susan Gray alumni back as interns and apprentices when they become Next Steps college students!”
Newman has seen the impact this program has had on her staff.
“The teachers and staff at Susan Gray learn so much from working alongside the Next Steps students,” she said. “We learn how to collaborate with Next Steps students to identify their strengths and provide them opportunities to lead activities with children and form relationships with children’s families. Apprentices bring joy to our program as we celebrate their growth with them.”
As for the Next Steps students, Newman said, “Apprentices gain many professional skills during their apprenticeship. They learn how to complete time sheets, communicate their ideas to colleagues, accept and apply feedback, and be flexible with others.”
With the success of the apprenticeships with Next Steps students, the team wanted to share this opportunity with other postsecondary programs by providing a road map and trainings in a toolkit, which the Department of Labor grant will help fund and is expected to be ready in 2027.
Lauren Bethune-Dix, Ph.D.
According to Lauren Bethune-Dix, Ph.D., Next Steps assistant program director and academic director and a co-principal investigator, the free online resource toolkit will be designed to equip IPSE programs with guidance on developing and implementing Registered Apprenticeship Programs within their program structure.
“This user-friendly toolkit will feature a variety of resources, including instructional videos, interactive elements, practical deliverables, and opportunities for collaboration with other IPSE programs,” Bethune-Dix said. “Its goal is to support programs in advancing their shared mission of fostering meaningful apprenticeship opportunities for students.”
Megan Macon
Macon, Next Steps’ apprenticeships director, said, “There are over 2,000 plus apprenticeship occupations, but not many people realize that. There are still misconceptions about what types of jobs and industries can utilize apprenticeships and who can access these programs. Those misconceptions are something programs must deal with when seeking employer partners.”
The toolkit may help overcome some of these barriers by sharing creative thinking and new ideas as well as provide neurodiverse students with new job opportunities and industries with a new pipeline for talent.
Williams, the Hendersonville preschool teacher, explained the difference her apprenticeship made for her.
“I had a wonderful mentor teacher who I was able to learn from,” she said. “I learned things like how to keep kids focused and engaged, how to help when a child is hurt, and what to do in case of an emergency. My mentor teacher met with me every week to help me learn and reach my goals. I was able to take amazing education classes at Vanderbilt and connect them to the information I learned at my apprenticeship site. The apprenticeship helped me make my lifelong dream of working with kids come true!”
Pictured top of page: Next Steps student Courtnie Taylor (via Next Steps)
