The journey toward a career often starts at a fork in the road. One path points toward on-the-job training. The other takes a detour through college. They have different benefits and barriers, but both can seem like one-way streets—no U-turns allowed.

Now, a pilot partnership among colleges, companies, and the American Council on Education aims to help people pursue both paths. The Apprenticeship Pathways project takes apprenticeships—experiences that companies design that pay people wages to learn while they work—and translates them into free college credits.

For example, someone who completes a one-year apprenticeship with IBM in software engineering not only sets the foundation for a career at the company but also will be able to earn up to 45 college credits for that experience, giving her about a three-semester head start on earning an associate or bachelor’s degree.

“This really is a bridge that helps a candidate—a learner, an apprentice—achieve both outcomes,” says Kelli Jordan, director of IBM career, skills, and performance. “It keeps people’s options open and helps them continue to build skills whenever they want to over the course of their lifetime.”

Apprenticeships have long been a mainstay for hiring people into skilled trades, but they’ve lately gained some momentum as a way to train people for office work, too, including for information technology positions that are in high demand. Because employers pay for the training and offer wages, these opportunities are more affordable for job seekers than programs that charge tuition.

Yet as the skills and credentials required for good employment opportunities change over time, some workers without a college degree find that they would benefit from having one. Others aspire to earn a diploma for personal reasons.

Read the full article about college apprenticeship programs by Rebecca Koenig at EdSurge.