Youth Apprenticeships
Become a Youth Apprentice at WCTC
The Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program is a rigorous one- or two-year program for high school juniors and seniors that combines academic and technical classroom instruction with paid work experience, giving you a head start on your career.
Waukesha County School-to-Career Consortium initiatives are funded in part with support from the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Grant.
Katie Meissner, Youth Apprenticeship Specialist
As a youth apprentice, you will:
- Receive occupation-related instruction and on-the-job training as part of your regular high school schedule
- Be paired with a workplace mentor
- Be exposed to all facets of an industry
- Develop the skills you need to succeed after graduation
After you successfully complete your apprenticeship, you’ll receive a state-issued skills certificate recognizing your career-related work experience. You may also continue on to complete a registered apprenticeship through a partnership between participating employers and WCTC. In the past, 80 percent of seniors who completed a YA were offered employment related to their training.
To participate in the YA program, you must be:
- Enrolled in a public or private secondary school or other approved program which is part of the Waukesha County School-to-Career Youth Apprenticeship partnership or other YA Consortium.
- In your junior or senior year of high school (you may begin your apprenticeship as early as the summer before junior year).
- Likely to graduate at the end of your senior year.
- Have participated in career exploration, guidance and/or education activities which allow you to make an informed choice.
- Interested in hands-on, career-based learning.
Occupational Pathways