SPC and PCS Working Together to Create Teacher Apprenticeship Program

7/31/2024

St. Petersburg College (SPC) and Pinellas County Schools (PCS) have created a new apprenticeship program for Pinellas County school employees who want to earn their bachelor’s degree in either Exceptional Student Education or Primary Pre-K Education. The program addresses the common goal of increasing the pipeline of high-quality teachers in our community.

“St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County Schools have maintained a robust, positive and mutually beneficial partnership for many years,” said Heather Duncan, SPC’s Dean of Education. “The apprenticeship pathway is an opportunity to not only address a critical need within our community but also support district employees who are committed to furthering their education and becoming teachers.”

The two institutions hosted a signing day for the apprentices on July 16 where SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams and Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick gave remarks and talked about the two institutions’ growing partnership.

“We want to continue to build our talent pipeline for our teachers, and we need you all so desperately,” said SPC President Tonjua Williams. “We are so grateful and so proud of this partnership of building the apprenticeship program to fuel teachers in our county to make sure our children have the best learning experience and the best teachers in the world. I want to thank everyone for stepping up, and I am so proud to work with Superintendent Hendrick. From the moment we met, I knew it was going to work without a doubt.”

The apprenticeship pathway opens doors for district employees who have aspirations of becoming a teacher but have not pursued a degree due to a lack of resources such as time, the cost of tuition and books, and potential loss of pay due to the demands of a traditional program.

This Grow Your Own program provides an opportunity for paraprofessionals to earn a bachelor’s degree and enter the teaching profession through a combination of on-the-job training from PCS and related instruction from SPC. Choosing one of two pathways, Exceptional Student Education or Primary Pre-K Education, apprentices will earn a progressive wage while working alongside a qualified mentor for two years.

SPC will cover the tuition and fees for the inaugural cohort of apprentices.

“This program is so important in many ways. It is nothing new that there is a teacher shortage, but this program grows the teacher pipeline and helps answer the question: ‘How do you continue to grow the pipeline?'” said Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. “Pinellas County Schools and St. Petersburg College are the answer. Our partnership with SPC allows us to do that. We are helping individuals who are already working full-time in the classroom since this program provides growth and return to PCS employees. But this is just what SPC does. The College upskills students to meet the needs of today and we are grateful we are able to do it in the classroom.”

Learn more about SPC’s College of Education programs.