Solutions to the teacher shortage requires a new line of thinking. Reach University’s apprenticeship training program shows an inspiring path forward.

“Over a million people want to become teachers and are working every day in classrooms as paraprofessionals,” says Dr. Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, founder and chancellor of Reach University. “They can’t become teachers because they cannot afford to earn their college degree.”

Reach University solves this problem by meeting paraprofessionals where they are, letting them earn their degree at an affordable price within a manageable schedule. Instead of offering traditional four-year degrees, the university is creating an apprenticeship pipeline for working professionals — and changing the education process for teachers.