Employers have used the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program to connect to high school students for over 25 years. Over 3,100 employers and 4,300 youth apprentices across Wisconsin participated in the YA program during the 2018/2019 school year. Employers extend permanent job offers to more than 75% of the graduating youth apprentices annually, making YA an excellent pipeline for recruiting and retaining loyal, well-trained talent. Employers within our consortium continually report a high level of satisfaction and cite significant program benefits throughout their experiences.
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Key Attributes for Employers
- Hiring: YA Coordinators help identify potential youth apprentices throughout the various high schools while conducting career coaching activities. In addition, YA Coordinators work with students to ensure employability skills are understood, resumes are created, and proper interviewing techniques are coached. However, employers determine who to hire and may opt to not hire any youth. Youth Apprentices are treated just like any other candidate pool.
- Mentors: Before hiring a youth apprentice, employers are asked to identify an individual who will act as a mentor at the workplace for the apprentice and ensure all proper training and guidance is provided to the student learner. Performance evaluations will also be conducted quarterly with the apprentice.
- Education/Training Agreement: An agreement form is signed by the apprentice, their parent, the employer, the school principal and the local YA Coordinator. This agreement enumerates the expectations and responsibilities of each party during the apprenticeship.
- Skills Checklists: Each type of apprenticeship offers a list of skills that youth are expected to learn at the workplace. These are shared with employers prior to hiring the apprentice. Mentors will complete these checklists twice a year.
A few other important items to note about the YA Program:
- Youth apprentices are considered Student Learners, a classification which allows them to perform some work that otherwise would be off-limits to minors when certain conditions are met. This Student Learner Law allows businesses much more flexibility in hiring the youth.
- These apprenticeships are paid positions and require at least minimum wage be provided to the student. The majority of employers normally pay these youth apprentices what they would pay an entry level person in the designated areas.
- Once employed, youth apprentices are covered by their employer’s workers compensation insurance policy which is required in the program. Please note, however, that workers compensation rates are not impacted by the age of employees but rather the industry in which the employer operates.
- Since these youth apprentices are enrolled full time in an educational institution and receive school credit for their participation in the YA program, they are not eligible to file for unemployment insurance benefits from their YA employer.
To reserve a spot at this Employer Expo, please complete the attached registration form and email/scan to jejohnson@luxcasco.k12.wi.us .
Link to Registration form:
