Strengthening Michigan’s Workforce Through CTE and RAPs

At the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) are viewed as a core component of our state-approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. For employer partners, this means a more direct and reliable pipeline of talent that is ready to hit the ground running.

Through the Office of Career and Technical Education, RAP opportunities are embedded across all CTE career clusters. Districts are receiving help with integrating RAP and pre-apprenticeship-aligned curricula, such as MARC Level I and II endorsements, directly into their coursework.

To ensure programs succeed, districts are provided with hands-on technical assistance in:

• Tailoring education to meet specific industry needs.
• Maximizing resources to lower the cost of training.
• Streamlining the "red tape" to make employer engagement seamless.

One of our most tangible success stories is the Registered Apprenticeship Wall. These displays were awarded to districts who are committed to training their staff and communities on the lifelong benefits of the RAP model.

These "Walls" serve as a constant reminder to students that a high-value career path, supported by local employers and labor unions, is within their reach right from their high school hallways.

Education cannot exist in a vacuum, and partnerships with the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Works!, labor unions, post-secondary institutions and many others are critical.

By aligning classroom instruction with real-time workforce demand, students earn credentials that are valuable for industry needs. MDE’s goal is to build a seamless pipeline from the classroom to meaningful, high-skill careers in your organizations.