Sara Weissman at InsideHigherEd.com reports that during a Presidential Election cycle that’s involved little talk of Higher Ed, Apprenticeships have claimed an unusual share of the spotlight.  Vice President Kamala Harris recently posted on X that she plans to double the number of registered, or Federally recognized, Apprenticeships, if she is elected President.  The Democratic nominee also told a crowd at a September rally in Pennsylvania that “our Nation needs to recognize the value of other paths, additional paths, such as Apprenticeships and technical programs.”  The 2024 Democratic Party platform, meanwhile, boasts “record investments” in Registered Apprenticeships under the Biden Administration, with a million Trainees participating in them as a result. “That’s a path to the Middle Class that families can count on,” the platform reads.  So, Apprenticeships are clearly on the minds of politicians and thought leaders this election season - but what are they, exactly?  Why is everybody talking about them? And what does their current place in the national discourse mean for Higher Ed?  Read on at Why politicians are talking about apprenticeships (insidehighered.com)