YA Wisconsin- Youth Apprenticeship

Leadership isn’t about being the boss, it’s about showing up with a positive attitude, setting an example, and encouraging others. 🛠 In Youth Apprenticeship, you show leadership by taking initiative, being responsible, and treating others with respect.

Meet Cuyler from Beaver Dam Unified School District, who is gaining hands-on healthcare experience through Youth Apprenticeship while working as a Resident Aide at Home Again Assisted Living.

“Being part of the youth apprenticeship program has given me the opportunity to experience a real work environment while learning valuable skills along the way. I’ve enjoyed being able to connect with the residents and make them feel valued.”

Cuyler is building important career skills while making a positive impact every day. We’re proud to see students gaining confidence, compassion, and real-world experience through Youth Apprenticeship! 👏

We’re proud to celebrate the continued growth and success of Youth Apprenticeship at New Holstein! 👏

A huge thank you to the business partners and families who shared their experiences and are helping make these opportunities possible for students!

This week, Ahern celebrated students at both its Appleton and Fond du Lac locations as they officially signed on to continue their journeys from Youth Apprenticeship into Registered Apprenticeship programs and to enter the Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400.

Students from Winnebago Lutheran Academy, School District of Omro, Waupun Area School District, Berlin High School, and Appleton Area School District were recognized for their hard work, commitment, and dedication to the skilled trades as they take this exciting next step in their careers. We are proud to celebrate these students as they continue building strong futures through apprenticeship opportunities and union membership.

Watching students bridge directly from high school opportunities into strong careers with outstanding industry partners like Ahern is exactly what YA is all about. These students are building futures, gaining valuable skills, and creating pathways to lifelong careers in the trades.

Congratulations to all of the students on this incredible accomplishment! 👏🔧

Mitchell, a student from the School District of Sheboygan Falls, is gaining hands-on experience as a Gas Utility Mechanic Youth Apprentice with Wisconsin Public Service.

Through his YA experience, Mitchell discovered a passion for the field and plans to continue his education at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College after graduation.

“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱; 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦. 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘥𝘰.” — Mitchell

Mitchell shared that working hands-on alongside mentors helped build his confidence, taught him industry standards, and strengthened his understanding of safe work practices.

WPS also shared the impact Youth Apprenticeship has had on their organization:
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘈 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴.”

Thank you to Mitchell and WPS for supporting work-based learning opportunities and building the future workforce! 👏

🎉 Congratulations to the Ripon Area School District Youth Apprenticeship students recognized at the Ripon YA Banquet!

Students, parents, mentors, and community partners came together to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of these outstanding students. The evening featured student-led presentations highlighting their experiences and growth through Youth Apprenticeship, along with a delicious meal catered by Christiano’s.

👏 48 Youth Apprenticeship students were honored
🎓 32 seniors received their Youth Apprenticeship graduation cords

A special shoutout to our incredible YA Coordinator, Stacey, for all of her dedication and support in helping students succeed both in the classroom and in the workplace. Thank you to the employers, mentors, families, and school staff who continue to make these opportunities possible!

We are incredibly proud of the Youth Apprentices on the Medical Surgical Floor at Froedtert Holy Family Memorial for receiving the DAISY Team Award and being recognized for the outstanding work they do each day.

These students were nominated by their mentors for their dedication, teamwork, professionalism, and compassionate care. Through their Youth Apprenticeship experiences, they are gaining valuable hands-on skills while making a positive impact on patients, families, and staff.

Congratulations to these outstanding students:
🔷 Owynn – Manitowoc Lincoln High School
🔷 Reilly – Manitowoc Lincoln High School
🔷 Sophia – Manitowoc Lincoln High School
🔷 Ava – Two Rivers Public Schools
🔷 Ella – Two Rivers High School
🔷 Mikayla – Two Rivers High School

We are thankful for employer partners like Froedtert Holy Family Memorial that help students explore careers in healthcare and provide meaningful, real-world learning opportunities. These experiences are helping students build confidence, develop professional skills, and discover future career paths.

We’re proud to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our CESA 6 Youth Apprenticeship students at this week’s Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) YA All-Star Awards Banquet! 🎉

A huge congratulations to our two award winners:
🏆 Ian Calaway — Sargento Cheese | Brillion Public Schools
🏆 Mason Neerhof — Rockline Industries | Sheboygan Area Lutheran High School

We also want to recognize the outstanding students who were nominated by their employers for their hard work, professionalism, and commitment to learning:

👏 Elleson Gipp — Brillion High School | Ariens
👏 Brady Schroeder — Kaukauna Area School District| August Winter & Sons
👏 Nathanial Ullman — Manitowoc Lutheran High School | Jagemann Stamping Co.
👏 Michael Lewis — Manitowoc Lutheran High School | Kaysun Corporation
👏 Gavin Miner — Rocket Academy | Sargento
👏 Odin Clem — Two Rivers Public Schools | Manitowoc Pattern & Machining
👏 Piper Engh — Two Rivers High School | Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry

These students represent the very best of Youth Apprenticeship, showing initiative, reliability, and a strong commitment to building their skills in Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry. Thank you to the employers, mentors, and schools who continue to support work-based learning opportunities for students across CESA 6!

Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility. Follow safety procedures, use equipment correctly, and speak up if something doesn’t seem right. 🛠 In YA, you’re learning in real job environments. Respecting safety rules shows maturity and keeps you—and others—safe.

Alexis’s YA experience has helped her confirm and strengthen her career goals in the floral industry. Through her work at Alfa Flower Shop, she has deepened her skills and gained valuable behind-the-scenes experience that has better prepared her for her future.

A recent highlight of Alexis’s journey was her opportunity to design, create, and present a floral piece for the Milwaukee Art Museum's Art in Bloom event. This experience allowed her to showcase her talents on a larger stage while connecting with visitors from across the country.

“𝘠𝘈 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴-𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.”

Congratulations, Alexis!

Wisconsin Lutheran High School