University of Mount Saint Vincent and Apex Technical School partner to combine trades and college

The University of Mount Saint Vincent, or UMSV, and Apex Technical School are joining forces to bring skilled trades training to the university’s Riverdale campus, creating a pathway for students to combine technical credentials with a college education.

The partnership comes as more students rethink the traditional four-year college path. Enrollment at trade-focused public two-year colleges has jumped nearly 20% since 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Even as undergraduate enrollment numbers drop across the country, the research center found, these vocational-focused institutions made up close to a fifth of all public two-year enrollment last year.

Omar Acevedo, post-secondary program manager for Riverdale Neighborhood House’s Teen Program, said he has watched that shift play out firsthand during his nearly nine years helping students plan for life after high school. Rather than asking where they want to attend college, many now ask what career a particular educational path will lead to, while families are paying closer attention to tuition costs, scholarships and “return on investment.”

He said careers as electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and welders are increasingly viewed as respected, well-paying professions rather than backup options.

“I feel like students don’t see college and the trades as mutually exclusive,” Acevedo said. “Some are interested in earning certifications first and then pursuing the degree later on.”

Mount Saint Vincent’s partnership with Apex aims to meet that changing mindset by breaking down what educators describe as longstanding barriers between vocational training and traditional higher education, giving students greater flexibility in how they prepare for careers and continue their education.

University President Susan R. Burns said the collaboration grew in part from her experience in the Midwest, where she said students can often earn both technical certifications and academic degrees through the same institution. However, in New York City, Burns said, she found trade schools and colleges largely operated separately, making it more difficult for students to transition from technical training into an associate or bachelor’s degree program.

“I think that many of them, whether they be traditional-aged college students or adults changing careers, or adults getting their education, many of them think that it has to be trades or college,” Burns said. “And this, what I love about this is that it doesn’t. There’s not an opposition. There’s not a ‘we have to choose one or the other.’”

Under the partnership, Apex, a member of the nonprofit Fedcap network, will provide technical training, while Mount Saint Vincent will provide pathways toward two- and four-year degrees. Students who successfully complete any Apex program, whether in Riverdale at UMSV or an Apex location, will receive automatic admission to the university.

The institutions also plan for Apex graduates to receive college credit for their technical education. Depending on their program, graduates may earn up to 30 credits toward an associate degree, potentially putting them halfway toward completing a degree before beginning traditional college coursework.

The arrangement will also work in the other direction. Mount Saint Vincent students will have the opportunity to enroll in Apex programs while pursuing their degrees, allowing them to graduate with both a college education and an industry-recognized technical credential.

Burns said the model could give students greater flexibility as technology, including artificial intelligence, reshapes the workforce and more people reconsider traditional educational and career paths.

“For a person who decides to become an electrician, the trade certification will give them that opportunity,” she said, adding that earning a business degree alongside it could prepare graduates to move into leadership roles or start their own businesses.

Jim Malatras, Fedcap’s chief strategy officer and senior vice president for education, said the partnership is intended to dismantle what he sees as a persistent divide between vocational and traditional higher education.

“You’re either in the trades or vocational in technical education, or you go the traditional higher education route, and I think it’s just a false choice,” Malatras said. “It’s always been a false choice, but our system was created to give people the one option or the other option.”

Apex has trained more than 60,000 students over six decades for careers in electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, welding, construction, automotive technology and other skilled trades.

The first Apex program planned for UMSV’s campus will focus on electrical training. Dedicated classrooms on the university’s campus will be fitted out for hands-on technical instruction, with the potential to expand into additional skilled trades over time.

Students interested in beginning Mount Saint Vincent coursework could do so as early as this fall, Burns said. The on-campus Apex electrical program is awaiting final regulatory approvals and could begin later in the semester.

Malatras said students are expected to have flexible scheduling options, while Mount Saint Vincent offers both in-person and online coursework for those who want to continue their education while working.

For some Apex students, Malatras said, simply learning on a university campus could change how they view their educational possibilities.

“This really could become a national model,” Malatras said. “I really see it, if this model works in an integrated way, where we’re empowering people in a different way.”