Reach University and Training Fund Launch Apprenticeship College of Health to Address National Healthcare Workforce Shortages

Reach University, the nation's nonprofit university advancing apprenticeship degrees, and the Training Fund, a labor-management partnership with expertise in employer-driven healthcare apprenticeship programs, today announced the launch of the nation's first Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH).

ACH is a first-of-its-kind, partnership-driven apprenticeship degree program designed to address the nation's acute shortage of job-ready, locally representative, and credentialed healthcare professionals. By turning existing healthcare jobs into affordable and locally-based education-to-career pathways, ACH will enable working adults to earn low- or no-cost, work-based degrees and progress toward state and national licensure, beginning with behavioral health.

The program will launch in the state of Washington, initially offering Reach University's existing Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies, with a focus on social science, embedded within a behavioral health apprenticeship that prepares learners for careers as substance use disorder professionals. The program is expected, subject to accreditor and state approval, to expand to additional degree pathways and healthcare fields.

"Traditional higher education must do more to ensure that a degree is worth the cost – especially for working adults," said Dr. Preston Cooper, senior research fellow, American Enterprise Institute. "Reach University is demonstrating how apprenticeship degrees can scale within the framework of accreditation while removing the greatest barriers to adult degree completion. By enabling learners to earn a salary as they progress toward a credential and career pathway, this model delivers a clearer return on investment. It has already shown strong results in teacher preparation, and I see significant promise for its expansion into healthcare."