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college... meet workplace

A New Way For Higher Ed

NCAD provides the strategy, tools, and technical assistance needed to help communities reimagine education and work—equipping learners to earn a paycheck while earning their degree.
Our Vision
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Our North Star

3 million Apprenticeship Degree enrollments by 2035.

This bold, national goal reflects the scale of change we believe is possible—and necessary. To get there, we’re building a network of colleges, employers, and state leaders who are ready to lead. NCAD supports these partners through technical assistance, curriculum transformation, compliance support, and community-driven design.

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Reenvisioning Higher Education

What is an Apprenticeship Degree?

An Apprenticeship Degree is a fully accredited degree program delivered through a job-embedded model. Students are hired into paid, entry-level roles—often in high-demand fields like healthcare, education, behavioral health, and technology—and pursue their degree alongside real-world work experience.

Unlike traditional degrees that prioritize jobs as add-ons, Apprenticeship Degrees place work at the center of learning. Apprentices earn wages, gain professional experience, and receive mentorship while progressing through a college degree that is tightly aligned to their on-the-job learning.

Apprenticeship Degrees are transformative. They are:
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Degrees from accredited institutions

With all the academic rigor and standards of traditional pathways.

Structured like registered apprenticeships

Including a minimum of one year, 2,000+ hours of on-the-job training, and 144+ hours of related instruction.

Flexible by design

With online, evening, or modular learning to accommodate working adults.

Affordable and accessible

Aiming to eliminate student debt through public funding, employer investment, and philanthropy.

Why NCAD Exists

Millions of Americans are forced to choose between earning a paycheck and earning a degree. For many, college remains unaffordable, inaccessible, or disconnected from real career opportunities. As a result, over 40 million Americans have some college credit but no degree—and student debt continues to soar.

NCAD was created to change that. We are building a national movement to connect college and career, reimagine traditional pathways, and offer working learners a better option—one that values experience, supports representation, and builds upward mobility. Our work is especially focused on:
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Creating affordable, efficient, and effective pathways for students.
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Supporting employers facing critical labor shortages.
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Empowering institutions to transform how education is delivered.

Who We Are

Launched by Reach University in 2024, the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD) exists to accelerate the widespread adoption of Apprenticeship Degrees. We are the nation’s leading resource and catalyst for institutions of higher education, employers, and state agencies seeking to build high-quality, job-embedded degree pathways.

We believe the future of higher education, and the future of work, lies at the intersection of the college and career.

NCAD exists to make that future a reality.
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The degree is not dead. This is a profoundly pro–higher education model. The employers are here for it.
Joe E. Ross President & CEO