In the Spring of 2024, the Business Employment Skills Team (BEST, Inc.) worked with Sterling Schools and BloomBoard, Inc., to develop a training strategy to address an ongoing shortage of certified teachers in rural Illinois. As a U.S. Department of Labor-recognized Registered Apprenticeship intermediary, BloomBoard, Inc., created the first turnkey pipeline strategy for school districts in the U.S.

The Apprenticeship Specialist at BEST, Inc., was approached to provide technical assistance regarding specific requirements for Registered Apprenticeship standards in Illinois, including Safety Training and Non-Sexual Harassment Training. The final set of apprenticeship standards was signed in May 2024.

Sterling Schools signed onto the BloomBoard standards as a participating employer to increase its pipeline of certified elementary education teachers. Training will begin in Fall 2024.