Turning Apprenticeships Into Degrees

For generations, apprenticeships have been a cornerstone of workforce training, preparing workers for skilled trades but rarely leading to a college credential. In Michigan, a new initiative seeks to change that.

Launched by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity in 2025, the Michigan College Credit for Apprenticeships Program allows people enrolled in registered apprenticeship programs to earn college credit for their on-the-job training. Depending on the apprenticeship program and credits awarded, state leaders said, some participants may need only one additional semester of coursework to earn an associate degree.

The initiative is part of Michigan’s broader effort to increase the share of working-age residents with a degree or postsecondary credential. The state has set a goal of reaching 60 percent attainment by 2030; currently, 51.8 percent of residents have earned a credential, while college enrollment has continued to decline.

Jessica Brousseau, chief of staff for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, said the program is designed to recognize the importance of apprenticeship training while creating a more accessible route to higher education for working adults.

“We’re really trying to help folks see that you can do both,” Brousseau said. “Apprenticeships are super rigorous, so they should count for something—more than what they already count for. Beyond just a good job and getting paid on day one, we want to make it so that when folks are done, they’re close to an associate degree.”

Recognizing prior learning: For many working adults, the challenge is not starting college but finding a pathway to finish. In Michigan, more than 1.2 million adults have earned college credits but not completed a degree, and about 38,000 more stop out each year, according to a recent report from ReUp Education.

Brousseau said recognizing prior learning is an important part of helping adults continue their education.

“Credit for prior learning is a huge thing that folks are looking at,” she said. “We want to make it easier for folks to be able to pivot and increase their earning power.”

Programs like College Credit for Apprenticeships can help close that gap by recognizing learning that has already occurred in the workplace. While apprenticeships can lead to strong wages, earning a college credential can provide workers with additional options later in their careers. Median earnings in 2025 for Michigan workers with an associate degree were about $54,000, compared with $33,100 for workers with only a high school diploma, according to MI School Data.

“If they decide, ‘OK, I want to keep going,’ or at any stage in their career they say, ‘I’ve got to learn a new skill or a new technology’ or ‘I want to go into union leadership or start my own business, so I want to get my associate degree,’ they can go and do that,” Brousseau said.

Earning college credit: Today, 11 of the state’s trade unions have signed up to participate in the program, representing fields ranging from ironwork to carpentry. In addition, 28 of Michigan’s community colleges are taking part. State leaders said those colleges have established processes for awarding credit and have publicly outlined how registered apprentices can apply their training toward a college credential.

The number of credits awarded varies by trade union and registered apprenticeship program. For example, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers awards up to 49 credits for its bricklayer and cement mason apprenticeship programs, while the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers awards up to 42 credits for its ironworker program. The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades grants up to 62 credits for its coatings application specialist apprenticeship.

In Michigan, associate degrees typically require at least 60 credits, meaning some apprenticeship programs can provide much of the credit needed—and in some cases all of it—for a degree.

Brousseau said additional registered apprenticeship programs are still undergoing curriculum evaluations and that the list of participating unions and colleges continues to grow.

“Apprenticeships have always been a pretty attractive career option for folks, and this just makes it that much more so,” Brousseau said. “Making it a yes-and, or being able to do both at the same time, will just draw more folks in.”

Building momentum: As the program expands, Brousseau said state leaders are focused on ensuring apprentices know the opportunity exists. To build awareness, the state has invested in marketing, hosted signing events and invited trade workers to learn more about the program.

“The uptake and the awareness piece is really critical, because this is only as good as the folks that know about it and are using it,” Brousseau said. “We’ve heard that struggle from other states, and we’re trying to be mindful of that and making sure that we’re really investing heavily and leaning into the marketing.”

Brousseau said other states interested in creating similar apprenticeship-to-college pathways should bring together labor organizations, higher education institutions and other key stakeholders early in the process. She pointed to the American Council on Education’s role in evaluating apprenticeship curricula, helping establish a consistent process for awarding college credit across participating programs.

Looking ahead, Brousseau said the state’s next priority is expanding the initiative to four-year institutions so apprentices can put their credits toward more than an associate degree.

“We want to make these transfer agreements. We want as many of our four-year [institutions] as we can to recognize these,” Brousseau said. “It’s been a real labor of love over here.”

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