For the fifth year in a row, Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program for high school students saw record-high enrollment.
During the 2025-26 school year, 12,141 students enrolled in the program, a 7 percent increase from the prior year.
“My administration and I have been working hard to address our state’s generational workforce challenges and ensure our workforce can meet the needs of the 21st Century. A big part of that work has been our efforts to make sure our own young people have the opportunity to gain the skills, connections, and hands-on experience needed to succeed and build their careers right here in Wisconsin and to keep our homegrown talent here in our state,” said Gov. Tony Evers.
Youth Apprenticeship is a one-year or two-year earn-while-you-learn program for high school juniors and seniors pairing work and related classroom instruction in a chosen occupation. This program implements a dual training system that combines skills obtained on the job site with technical knowledge in the classroom. Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to offer a Youth Apprenticeship program in 1991, and more than 99 percent of Wisconsin’s public school districts that have a high school offered Youth Apprenticeship for the 2025-26 school year.
In addition to record-high enrollment, the Youth Apprenticeship program partnered with a record 8,105 employers.
Youth Apprenticeship career pathways with the highest participation during the school year were:
- Health Science: 2,189
- Marketing: 1,571
- Manufacturing: 1,568
- Architecture and Construction: 1,547
- Hospitality & Tourism: 1,402
The number of Youth Apprenticeship program participants who leverage their skills and choose to become Registered Apprentices to begin their career has grown in recent years, from 8.7 percent of Youth Apprenticeship participants in State Fiscal Year 2021 to 15 percent in SFY 2026.
Wisconsin’s Registered Apprenticeship program reached a record 18,524 apprentices across more than 3,095 employers, marking the program’s fourth consecutive record-breaking year in its 115-year history.
Participation in Certified-Pre Apprenticeship (CPA) programs is growing, with 1,121 participants completing a program last year, up 33.8 percent over the previous year. CPA offered 37 programs through 23 training providers in 2025.
To learn more about Wisconsin Apprenticeship, visit WisconsinApprenticeship.com.
