MiraCosta College has been selected as one of ten community colleges nationwide to join the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) inaugural Scaling Apprenticeship at Community Colleges cohort. The College will receive a $15,000 stipend to support planning and participation—funds that add to approximately $3.5 million MiraCosta has secured in support of apprenticeship grants to expand high-quality, paid, work-based learning pathways for students.

Over the next nine months, MiraCosta’s cross-functional team will take part in expert-led modules and peer learning focused on employer partnerships, registered apprenticeship standards development, program administration, curriculum and related technical instruction (RTI), recruiting and supporting apprentices, trustee engagement, and sustainable financing. The cohort also includes two in-person convenings, beginning with an introductory and planning session in November 2025. By project’s end, participating colleges will have the tools and processes to design, sponsor, and scale sustainable Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in new and innovative fields.

“Participating in ACCT’s first cohort of ten colleges nationally is a testament to MiraCosta College’s commitment to improving economic mobility for our local communities. By translating the historically successful apprenticeship model into growing industries such as healthcare and information technology, we are creating more pathways into high-wage, high-demand fields where people don’t have to choose between earning a living and attending college—they can do both at the same time, which is a game changer for folks who never finished college or even had the opportunity to start,” said Benjamin Gamboa, Associate Dean of Career Education.

“MiraCosta has already proven a leader in work-based learning in the state of California. This program will propel MiraCosta into the national spotlight as we build sustainable apprenticeship program infrastructure that other California colleges can model,” said Molly Ash, Director of Apprenticeship Program Development.

MiraCosta’s participation aligns with regional employer needs and advances the College’s mission to expand workforce pathways into high-demand careers. As part of the cohort, the College will formalize apprenticeship standards for at least two new and innovative occupations in healthcare and IT and deepen trustee and employer engagement to sustain and scale programs.

Paid, on-the-job training programs where students are employed at the beginning of their program and earn wages while learning their occupation.

Can be paid or unpaid; often capstone experiences that help students apply learning and transition into post-graduate employment.

Typically, unpaid, short-term, highly structured job-shadow experiences embedded within a program.

ACCT launched the first cohort on August 4, 2025, selecting ten colleges nationwide to develop an operational framework for scaling apprenticeships in new and innovative occupations, with support from Ascendium Education Group and in partnership with New America and Job Forward.