School bells ring, telling students and staff that the class period is over, and the next will begin soon. For most students, this is how their typical days are structured, seven classes with four minutes in between to get to each, with the exception of lunch. For those in the Youth Apprenticeship program, their typical days look less like class-based learning, and more like work. The program, which for Berlin is backed by the Cooperational Education Service Agency 6 (or CESA 6), located in Oshkosh, gives students access to a variety of programs. YA has been around for many years, but has only recently taken off.
“It has grown significantly over the past five years. The program was created to help students figure out what they enjoy, build professional skills, and be ready for work or further education after graduation,” CESA 6 Consultant Beth Kwakkel said.
Not every student is able to participate in the YA program. Job opportunities are limited, with main fields in construction, STEM, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare.
“You need to have a career direction, pretty specific and pretty well-thought-out, that this is what their career path might be. For some, they already have that particular job or they’re working within the field of,” guidance counselor Matt Willet said.
One student who has heavily benefited from the youth apprenticeship program is senior Caleb Voigtlander, whose program is based at J.F. Ahern, in Appleton. Having taken all metals classes offered, he had a background in his area of work already, and has since been able to apply his learning to his program.
“It’s really helped me with the sheet metal in here (independent study with metal tech teacher Bret Steffen). I’ve learned a lot just in one summer working there. It’s allowed me to do more stuff here,” Voightlander said.
Within the Youth Apprenticeship program, students are able to work for companies and businesses where they could potentially end up having long term employment. These companies can see students’ potential and work ethic, and make more important decisions for the future.
“It allows them to see the industry or the possible career path that they might want. It’s awesome. It’s like a job shadow while working, and you’re getting paid for it,” Willett said.
Overall, youth apprenticeship holds many opportunities for students to take steps into their hopeful future careers, while getting many hours of personal experience along the way.
“YA is a great way to get real-life work experience while still in high school. Students get to try out a career, earn credit for school, and even make some money, all while learning in an industry they are considering for a post-high school career,” Kwakkel said. “That goal is for students to determine if that industry is or is not a good fit for them before they begin post-high school education and training that may be time-consuming and expensive.”
