About Us
The National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD) is dedicated to advancing the widespread adoption of the Apprenticeship Degree, driving the upward mobility and vitality of America’s diverse talent pool and addressing labor shortages throughout the United States.
Who We Are
NCAD is a national nonprofit center dedicated to advancing the widespread adoption of the Apprenticeship Degree across the United States, driving the upward mobility and vitality of America’s diverse talent pool and addressing critical labor shortages.
As an initiative of Reach University, NCAD partners with employers, state agencies, and the nation’s most forward-thinking institutions of higher education to spearhead the systematic adoption of the Apprenticeship Degree across the United States, leading to three million Apprenticeship Degrees by 2035.
We provide resources, expert guidance, and collaboration platforms to bridge higher education and industry, empowering employers to grow their own local, specialized talent to solve long-standing labor shortages.
Why NCAD Exists
We believe no one should be forced to make the terrible choice between the job they need now versus the degree that could lead to a better, future job. Every year, millions of Americans face this difficult choice, and as a consequence:
About half of the American workforce lacks a degree, despite nearly two-thirds of US jobs requiring postsecondary education.
40 million Americans have exited a college pathway without finishing, carrying $280 billion in student debt.
The share of parents who say they want their children to go to college has fallen to nearly half of what it was just ten years ago.
10 million critical job vacancies remain unfilled.
The ramifications of this on-going cycle are dire for individuals, employers, and our greater economy.
Our Vision
We envision a world where skill and effort, not money or connections, determine who gets ahead, and where nobody is forced to choose between holding a job and pursuing a degree.
It's a Movement.
There is a reason so many education and workforce leaders have teamed up with NCAD to advance Apprenticeship Degrees in critical sectors across the US economy. Together we are creating new and more equitable pathways to degree attainment for the half of working adults without a bachelor’s degree – as many as 50 million people – who say in survey after survey that they want more education.
So What Makes the Apprenticeship Degree Different?
Done right, the model offers mutual benefits for learners and employers: