On September 8, 2026, the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council registered the first Registered Apprenticeship in the United States dedicated to AI Project Management — MATC Program #2575, sponsored by Master of Project Academy and announced via Business Wire. A first-of-its-kind program generates a lot of questions. This page answers all of them — each on its own, so you can jump straight to yours.
About the program
Is there an AI project management apprenticeship in the United States?
Yes. The first Registered Apprenticeship dedicated to AI project management was registered by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council on September 8, 2026, as MATC Program #2575. The sponsor is Master of Project Academy, a project management training provider founded in 2012.
What is an AI project management apprenticeship?
It is a Registered Apprenticeship — the U.S. Department of Labor’s earn-and-learn model — that develops project managers who lead AI deployment inside organizations. Apprentices work as full-time W-2 employees of participating employers, completing 4,000 hours of mentored on-the-job learning and 340 hours of related instruction over a two-year term.
What is the first registered AI apprenticeship in the US?
MATC Program #2575, the AI Project Management apprenticeship sponsored by Master of Project Academy, registered by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council on September 8, 2026. At the time of registration, no other Registered Apprenticeship program in the United States was dedicated to AI project management.
Who sponsors the AI project management apprenticeship?
Master of Project Academy is the registered sponsor, under a group, non-joint structure: the sponsor maintains the registered standards, delivers instruction, manages credentialing, and handles compliance, while participating employers hire and employ apprentices as full-time W-2 staff. Master of Project Academy also employs apprentices in its own operations.
Why does the apprenticeship focus on AI deployment instead of building AI models?
Because deployment is where enterprise AI fails. MIT researchers found 95% of enterprise generative-AI pilots produce no measurable P&L return, and RAND found the leading root causes of AI project failure are organizational rather than technical. The apprenticeship builds the people accountable for that layer — where an AI application meets a real organization.
Cost and pay
Does the AI apprenticeship cost anything?
Not for apprentices. Apprentices bear no cost for the program — no tuition and no fees. For employers, the primary commitment is employment itself: the apprentice’s wages and benefits as a full-time W-2 employee, with program participation terms discussed directly with the sponsor.
Are AI apprentices paid?
Yes. Apprentices are full-time W-2 employees of participating employers from day one — the earn-and-learn model. Compensation flows to the apprentice, not from them; there is no tuition at any point in the program.
Credentials and training
What certifications does the AI PM apprenticeship include?
Apprentices earn a stacked credential set: CAPM, PMP, an AI Specialization Certificate, and — on completion — a nationally recognized Certificate of Completion issued through the Registered Apprenticeship system. The related instruction is anchored to PMBOK 8.
How long is the AI project management apprenticeship?
The program runs a two-year term, combining 4,000 hours of mentored on-the-job learning with 340 hours of related instruction — 219 of those hours AI-specific.
What does the apprenticeship training cover?
On-the-job learning spans eleven registered work processes, including a dedicated AI System Integration & Governance work process, inside the apprentice’s employer. Related instruction covers project management fundamentals anchored to PMBOK 8 plus AI-specific instruction — preparing apprentices to carry AI deployments across every vendor and every model type.
For employers
How do employers join the AI project management apprenticeship?
Employers join as participating employers of the already-registered program: review the structure, start a conversation with the sponsor, sign a short agreement adopting the registered standards, and hire. There is no registration filing on the employer’s side. The full playbook is in our employer guide, and the conversation starts at masterofproject.com/p/aipmapprenticeship.
Do employers have to build their own apprenticeship program?
No. That is the point of the group, non-joint model: MATC Program #2575 is already built, registered, and operating. The sponsor administers standards, instruction, credentialing, and compliance; participating employers do what they already do well — hire and employ.
Are there incentives for hiring an AI apprentice?
Often, yes. Maryland’s Apprenticeship Incentive Program offers up to $3,000 per newly registered adult apprentice for eligible training expenses, and the U.S. Department of Labor maintains a state-by-state directory of apprenticeship tax credits, funding, and tuition support. Terms and timing rules vary — our incentives guide covers the details.
Is the program only for Maryland companies?
The program is registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council. If your company operates outside Maryland, reach out anyway — the conversation starts the same way, at masterofproject.com/p/aipmapprenticeship or [email protected].
For candidates
How do I apply for the AI project management apprenticeship?
Participation runs through an employer — a Registered Apprenticeship is a job, not a course. Two moves: join the candidate interest list at masterofproject.com/p/aipmapprenticeship so you are visible as seats open, and bring the program to your current employer — the person who champions it internally is well positioned to be among its first apprentices.
Can individuals enroll in the apprenticeship directly?
No. Employers join the program; individuals participate through an employer. That employment relationship — full-time, W-2, from day one — is what makes it a Registered Apprenticeship rather than a course, and it is why apprentices are paid instead of paying.
How do I become an AI project manager?
Two paths. The established one: project management experience plus foundational credentials plus self-funded AI upskilling — workable, but slow and paid for out of pocket. The new one: the registered apprenticeship, where you are hired, paid, mentored, and credentialed over a two-year term at no cost to you. Our candidate guide walks through both.
Verification
How can I verify the apprenticeship is registered?
The program was registered by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council on September 8, 2026, as MATC Program #2575, under the U.S. Department of Labor occupation Information Technology Project Manager (O*NET 15-1299.09, RAPIDS 1048). The registration was announced via Business Wire, and the Maryland Department of Labor publicly welcomed the sponsor cohort on LinkedIn.
Is it really the first AI apprenticeship in the nation?
At the time of registration, no other Registered Apprenticeship program in the United States was dedicated to AI project management — which is what makes MATC Program #2575 the nation’s first. The claim was published in the national wire announcement, with the Maryland Department of Labor’s public welcome of the sponsor cohort on the record alongside it.
Still have a question?
Employers and candidates can both start at masterofproject.com/p/aipmapprenticeship — or write to [email protected] and ask directly.
About Master of Project Academy
Founded in 2012, Master of Project Academy has trained 500,000+ learners across 180+ countries in project management, with a 99.6% first-attempt PMP pass rate in delivered cohorts. Master of Project Academy is the registered sponsor of MATC Program #2575, the nation’s first AI Project Management apprenticeship. Learn more at masterofproject.com/p/aipmapprenticeship.
Sources
- Business Wire — Maryland Registers Nation’s First AI Project Management Apprenticeship, Sponsored by Master of Project Academy (Sept 16, 2026)
- Maryland Department of Labor — LinkedIn announcement welcoming the new sponsor cohort
- Maryland Department of Labor — Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program
- S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov — State tax credits and tuition support
- Forbes — MIT finds 95% of GenAI pilots fail (Aug 2025)
RAND — The Root Causes of Failure for Artificial Intelligence Projects