2. News Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
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DWD Grants $4.9 Million in Youth Apprenticeship State Grants to Serve 5,900 Students

MADISON – The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced the awarding of $4.9 million in Youth Apprenticeship (YA) grants to 37 consortiums which include 395 school districts in Wisconsin. The consortiums project nearly 6,000 students will participate in YA in the 2020-2021 school year.

Youth Apprenticeship, like Registered Apprenticeship, couples on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Students are hired by participating employers and receive instruction related to their job through their high schools, local technical colleges, or other training providers. Students often finish YA programs with certificates, credentials, and transferable college credits they can apply to their post-secondary plans.

"Youth Apprenticeship provides students with the opportunity to get hands-on experience while exploring career options before they commit to a post-secondary path," DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman said. "Most occupations today require some sort of post-secondary education; whether it is a bachelor's or associate degree, certificate or credential. YA can help a student determine which career path fits them and provide them with a steppingstone into that pathway."

Participating students may select an occupational area of interest for their YA across 11 DWD-approved career clusters, including Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Art, Audio/Visual Technology and Communications; Finance; Health Science; Hospitality and Tourism; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; and Marketing.

DWD will launch updated curriculum in five of the career clusters for the 2020-2021 school year. All the career clusters will have the curriculum updated over the next three years as DWD continues to ensure that students' apprenticeships are in line with employer and industry standards. The Department is also working to ensure that classroom instruction is transferrable, increasing dual enrollment opportunities and creating a bridge to registered apprenticeships.

"Youth Apprenticeship prepares students for career and college; whatever comes next," DWD's Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards State Director Joshua Johnson said. "By bridging youth apprentice graduates into registered apprenticeships, students get a head start on a career with family sustaining wages, make connections with employers in their community, and feel confident in their career path."

More classes may be conducted online for the 2020-2021 school year as school districts design plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Students will need to follow the COVID-19 restrictions and safety protocols that are set up by the schools and employers when the 2020-2021 Youth Apprenticeship school year resumes.

Wisconsin's nationally recognized YA program was authorized by state statute in 1991 as part of a statewide School-to-Work initiative. To learn more about Youth Apprenticeship visit ya.wi.gov.

The list of 2020-2021 Youth Apprenticeship Grantees is below:

Stats at a Glance
Total Consortiums	37
# of School Districts Served	395
Projected Student Count	5956
Total Award Amount	$4,975,937