Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships as a Workforce Strategy

Apprenticeships are well established in North Carolina but are newer to mental health, IDD and substance use services. Registered Apprenticeship is an earn-and-learn model that allows providers to hire individuals into paid, billable roles while they complete structured training, education and supervised experience over time.

Apprenticeships are optional, not a new regulation, and operate within existing service definitions and personnel rules. They are increasingly being explored to stabilize high turnover entry roles and build intentional pathways into Qualified Professional (QP) positions.

Why Apprenticeships Matter

Providers face two persistent challenges:

• High turnover in entry-level roles (DSPs, paraprofessionals, peer support, care extenders)
• Limited pathways into QP roles that require both education and experience

Registered Apprenticeship addresses both by allowing staff to work now while progressing through education and supervised, on-the-job learning.

What Is a Registered Apprenticeship?

A Registered Apprenticeship is an employer driven training model registered with ApprenticeshipNC and the U.S. Department of Labor. Programs typically include:

• Paid employment from day one
• Structured on-the-job learning and supervision
• Related Technical Instruction through a NC Community College
• Progressive wages tied to skills or time

No changes to Medicaid policy, licensing or service definitions are required.

Connection to the QP Pathway

Apprenticeships can support the QP pathway by aligning coursework (often the AAS in Social and Human Services) with supervised, billable work experience. Participation is not required to become a QP; it is one optional “grow-your-own” workforce strategy.

Education and Funding Support

Registered Apprenticeships may unlock access to:

• Community college tuition coverage or waivers
• Pell grants and state financial aid
• WIOA and other workforce development funds

Availability varies by region. Community colleges and ApprenticeshipNC help identify options. 

Apprenticeship Accelerator Overview

The Apprenticeship Accelerators are full-day, regional working sessions (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) designed to help behavioral health, IDD and substance use providers move from interest to action. The morning focuses on how apprenticeships work in North Carolina, including the role of community colleges, registration requirements, funding options and operational logistics. The afternoon shifts to guided networking and planning, bringing together providers, community colleges, workforce partners and state support to help participants build a practical apprenticeship action plan tailored to their region.

Registration Links (Free and lunch included)

February 18: Guilford Tech Community College

• Counties: Rockingham, Caswell, Guilford, Alamance, Orange, Randolph, Chatham, Montgomery.

March 4: Sampson Community College

• Counties: Moore, Richmond, Harnett, Scotland, Hoke, Cumberland, Robeson, Sampson, Duplin, Bladen, Pender, Columbus, Brunswick, New Hanover.

March 5: Wayne Community College

• Counties: Wayne, Greene, Pitt, Lenoir, Craven, Jones, Onslow, Carteret, Pamlico, Beaufort, Hyde, Washington, Tyrell, Dare.

March 6: Edgecombe Community College

• Counties: Halifax, Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Bertie, Martin, Edgecombe, Nash, Wilson.

March 18: Catawba Valley Community College

• Counties:  Ashe, Alleghany, Watauga, Wilkes, Caldwell, Alexander, Catawba, Burke, Iredell.