Central Career Changers (C3) Teacher Apprenticeship Program
About This Program
Central Methodist University’s Central Career Changers (C3) Program is a registered educator apprenticeship that helps eligible full-time classroom employees apply their workplace experience toward selected college credit while completing a bachelor’s degree or certification-only pathway. Apprentices remain employed, complete CMU coursework online, develop required workplace competencies with support from a qualified mentor, and progress toward degree completion and, when applicable, Missouri teacher certification.
CMU launched the C3 Program in 2023, and, in 2024, the initiative was enhanced through the Missouri Southeast Pathways to Work (MoSEPWork) Grant in collaboration with Jefferson College, Mineral Area College, East Central College, and Three Rivers College. Together, the consortium supports expanded access to pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship opportunities across southeast Missouri.
STUDENT APPRENTICES IN OUR C3 PROGRAM MUST:
Earn applicable credit for workplace learning. Eligible apprentices may earn up to 24 applicable credit hours at no cost through selected experiential courses.
Remain employed while completing the program. Apprentices continue working full-time in eligible classroom-based positions while completing academic and apprenticeship requirements.
Complete coursework online. CMU’s flexible online format helps working adults balance employment, coursework, and personal responsibilities.
Learn with support from an experienced educator. Each apprentice works with a qualified mentor who supports workplace growth and evaluates required competencies.
Build a pathway toward certification. Candidates in certification-leading programs complete CMU’s educator-preparation requirements and receive guidance as they approach eligibility for Missouri certification.
Available Academic Pathways
Certification-leading bachelor’s degree pathways include:
- Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 3)
- Elementary Education (Grades 1–6)
- Middle School Language Arts (Grades 5–9)
- Middle School Mathematics (Grades 5–9)
- Middle School Science (Grades 5–9)
- Middle School Social Science (Grades 5–9)
- Special Education (Grades K–12)
The C3 Program is also available for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Child Development. The Child Development major does not lead to Missouri teacher certification.
Certification-only options may be available in the certification areas listed above for eligible candidates who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree. A transcript review is required to determine remaining coursework and program eligibility. Complete the free application to admissions for assessment.
Eligible Employment:
Eligible positions must provide consistent classroom-based, on-the-job learning opportunities. Qualifying roles may include paraprofessionals, teacher’s aides, instructional aides, classroom assistants, teachers, and full-time substitutes serving under a 10-month contract. Position eligibility is determined by the employee’s job duties, work schedule, and access to the workplace competencies required by the apprenticeship.
Employees do not need two years of prior classroom experience before applying. Apprentices generally complete approximately 4,000 hours—about two contract years—of qualifying employment before completing the apprenticeship. Documented prior experience may be reviewed for credit, subject to program requirements.
Not sure whether a position qualifies? Email a current contract or job description to c3program@centralmethodist.edu for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the program take?
There is no single completion timeline for every apprentice. Time to completion depends on accepted transfer credit, remaining academic requirements, enrollment pace, course availability and sequencing, successful completion of experiential requirements, and completion of qualifying employment. Following admission, an academic advisor reviews the student’s transcripts and develops an individualized degree or certification plan and can discuss feasible options.
What happens if employment changes?
Apprentices must notify the C3 Program promptly if their employer, position, worksite, mentor, schedule, or employment status changes. Loss of qualifying employment may result in temporary suspension from the apprenticeship while the participant seeks another eligible classroom-based position, pending they still meet all other eligibility criteria to remain in the program.
Do I need minimum prior classroom experience before applying?
No. Applicants may begin after securing an eligible full-time classroom-based position with a C3 partner. Documented prior experience may be reviewed for credit toward the employment requirement.
Will I automatically receive 24 free credit hours?
No. Apprentices may be eligible for up to 24 applicable experiential credit hours. The specific courses available depend on the selected pathway, transfer credit, remaining requirements, employment setting, and successful completion of required artifacts.
Does Child Development lead to teacher certification?
No. Child Development is a non-certification bachelor’s degree. Students seeking Missouri teacher certification should select an eligible certification-leading education pathway.
Must my job assignment match my major?
Not always. Apprentices may often pursue a different eligible academic pathway than their current classroom assignment. However, selected practica, student teaching, and other certification requirements may need to be completed in an approved setting aligned with the pathway.
Can my mentor hold certification in a different content area?
Yes. A mentor may hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate in any content area.
Is the mentor role paid?
The C3 mentor role is currently voluntary and unpaid. The formal responsibilities are intentionally limited primarily to professional support and completion of the Initial and Final Performance Evaluations.
Is the program free?
The full degree or certification-only pathway is not tuition-free. Only approved experiential courses are offered at no cost through the C3 Program. Remaining coursework is charged at CMU’s applicable tuition rate. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA and explore available federal, state, institutional, employer, and community-based financial assistance.
Additional Program Information:
For Employers
C3 employment partners invest in their existing workforce while developing future educators. Participating employers provide qualifying full-time classroom employment, maintain the required one-apprentice-to-one-qualified-educator supervision ratio, provide opportunities to develop required workplace competencies, support progressive wage advancement, provide at least one hour of onsite personal or occupational safety training, and communicate changes affecting the apprentice in a timely manner.
CMU provides academic advising, apprenticeship tracking, experiential-learning coordination, performance-evaluation materials, and administrative support. Employees of participating organizations may also qualify for a discounted tuition rate in CMU’s Master of Education and Master of Educational Administration programs. Standard admission requirements apply.
Districts, schools, state schools, Head Start programs, and eligible Pre-K or childcare facilities interested in partnership may contact c3program@centralmethodist.edu.
Experiential Credit
Eligible apprentices may earn up to 24 credit hours applicable to their selected degree or certification-only pathway at no cost through experiential learning. These courses combine documented workplace experience with required artifacts, reflections, lesson materials, evaluations, or other evidence of learning.
Experiential credit is not awarded automatically or all at once. Eligible courses vary according to the apprentice’s academic pathway, transfer credit, remaining degree requirements, employment setting, and successful completion of each course’s requirements. Experiential courses are added progressively while the apprentice remains in good standing in the C3 Program.
Experiential Student Teaching
Certification-seeking C3 apprentices complete student teaching through an alternative experiential format while maintaining qualifying employment. The 16-week experience is completed in two parts during the final academic semester and includes required artifacts, evaluator involvement, employment verification, and a Final Performance Evaluation showing proficiency in all applicable apprenticeship competencies.
Some apprentices working outside a K-12 environment may need to complete student teaching or other experiential requirements in a different approved setting. The C3 Program works with the apprentice and participating employers to determine an appropriate placement when necessary.
Special Guidance for Childcare, Head Start, and Pre-K Employees
Employees of eligible childcare facilities, including Head Start and Pre-K programs, may participate while pursuing any C3-eligible academic pathway, provided the facility establishes an approved partnership with CMU. To qualify, the facility must operate an established Head Start or Pre-K classroom, use a comprehensive early childhood curriculum approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and have a Missouri-certified educator available within the facility to serve as the apprentice’s mentor.
Apprentices employed by childcare facilities who pursue a certification-leading pathway may be required to complete selected experiential requirements, including student teaching, in an approved K–12 setting. When applicable, the C3 Program will assist in coordinating a temporary placement, which may be unpaid.
Facilities may review approved curricula on the DESE Early Childhood Curriculum webpage. Questions may be directed to the DESE Office of Childhood at preschool@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-6793.
Mentorship and Performance Evaluations
Each apprentice must have access to a qualified mentor. For certification-leading pathways, the mentor must hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate, which may be in any content area. The mentor provides professional guidance and helps the apprentice develop the workplace competencies associated with the registered apprenticeship.
Mentors complete two formal C3 Performance Evaluations: an Initial Performance Evaluation during onboarding and a Final Performance Evaluation during the apprentice’s final semester. The initial evaluation establishes a starting point for continued growth. Before completing the apprenticeship, the apprentice must demonstrate proficiency in all applicable competencies.
Provisional Teaching Certification
Certification-seeking students may become eligible to pursue a Missouri provisional teaching certificate when they are within 15 credit hours of completing their approved educator-preparation program and meet all other applicable CMU and DESE requirements.
Provisional certificates are issued only in the certification area aligned with the student’s approved program of study and qualifying teaching assignment. Candidates must secure an eligible teaching position with a Missouri public school or accredited private school and complete at least one attempt of the required Praxis assessment before CMU can recommend them for provisional certification. Interested students should consult their academic advisor following admission for an individualized eligibility review and guidance through the application process.
