MADISON—Gov. Tony Evers this week announced that Wisconsin high school juniors and seniors heading back to school this fall will have 14 new occupational pathways that local employers can support, thanks to ongoing modernization efforts by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
“We have to make sure our kids have apprenticeship opportunities and different pathways to get the jobs and skills training they need to join our state’s workforce,” said Gov. Evers. “These latest youth apprenticeship pathways will help strengthen the connections among employers, educators, students, and communities, provide new opportunities for our young people to build their futures, and foster our own home-grown talent in critical industries that support local economies across our state.”
Working in collaboration with school consortiums, employers, the Wisconsin Technical College System, and other partners, DWD has modernized the framework for a total of 75 Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program pathways to help industries find and develop home-grown talent.
DWD’s YA Program Modernization Initiative resulted in 14 new occupational pathways in which local employers can offer apprenticeship opportunities to students. These include:
- Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, new pathways: Arborist and Dairy Grazier.
- Architecture and Construction, new pathways: Gas Distribution Technician, Heavy Equipment Operator/Operating Engineer, and Utilities Electrical Technician.
- Arts, Audio Visual Technology and Communications, new pathway: Media Broadcast Technician.
- Health Science, new pathways: Phlebotomist and Resident Aide.
- Information Technology, new pathway: IT Broadband Technician.
- Manufacturing, new pathway: Electro-mechanical/Mechatronics.
- Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics, new pathways: Airport Operations and Management, Aviation Maintenance Fundamentals, Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Technician, Aviation Avionics Technician.
“For years, our industry has been asking the question, ‘How can we reach youth and get them interested in trees and the arboriculture industry?’” said August Hoppe, co-chair of the Wisconsin Registered Arborist Apprenticeship Advisory Committee and Wisconsin Arborist Association workforce development coordinator. “It was a no-brainer to work with DWD to help create the nation’s first youth arborist apprenticeship. It’s exciting to see the program now gaining traction. The YA is yet another pathway for new people to obtain the skills necessary for our industry. We are excited for the future.”
To update existing program curricula, DWD staff reached out to YA participating employers, industry associations, and other relevant stakeholders to gather feedback and input regarding the training and education needs.
The YA program is coordinated and provided around the state by consortia that often consist of school districts, technical colleges, and chambers of commerce. Of the 421 public school districts, 321 districts, or 76.2 percent, had students enrolled in YA for the 2021-2022 school year.
Employers interested in becoming a youth apprenticeship sponsor can find more information here.
Students interested in becoming a youth apprentice can find more information here.
