Youth Apprenticeship and ACP

Work-based learning experiences expose students to different types of jobs and help students learn and apply skills necessary to the working world.  Concurrently, these experiences give students the opportunity to acquire attitudes, skills, and knowledge for work and other life roles by participating in actual or simulated work settings related to in-school instructional programs.

​All of these activities are aimed at the infusion of workplace experiences into the academic environment to assist students in developing work behaviors that will make them more employable. The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program provides a unique opportunity for students to bring their Academic and Career Plans to life.

The Role of the School District

Districts and School-Based YA Coordinators will have the assistance of the CESA 8 Regional YA Coordinator to promote and manage the YA program. In addition, districts will qualify to receive 50% of the YA grant funds available annually through the Department of Workforce Development grant (ordinarily $450 per student) per the DWD restrictions on fund use. 

As a school district offering youth apprentice, you will be responsible for the following: 

Choosing a School-Based YA Coordinator
Your School-Based YA Coordinator will work closely with the CESA 8 Regional YA Coordinator to meet all of the objectives and requirements of the state YA program. Your school-based coordinator should have a good understanding of the CTE courses available through your district, as well as connections to local businesses to recruit for the YA program.

Ensuring student is eligible for YA 
While GPA is not to be used as a determining factor to recruit students into the YA program, districts should monitor YA students to assure that they are passing all required classes and maintaining progress toward completing of secondary schooling.

Enroll students in CTE courses
The CESA 8 Regional YA Coordinator will work with your School-Based Coordinator to ensure that students are enrolled in at least one class each semester which supports the learning that students will be doing in their apprenticeships. Classes can be high school courses, dual credit courses, online classes or classes taken at a local technical college.

Granting high school credit for YA experience
Districts will decide locally on the amount of elective credit to grant for the YA program. In most instances, districts grant 1 to 2 credits per year for 450 hours of work experience.

Providing at least 50% matching funds
Any use of district funds to cover the cost of staff salaries and fringe benefits, uniforms and supplies for the youth apprentices, books and classroom supplies, or classroom tuition and fees will be accounted for and reported as matching funds.

The Role of the School-Based YA Coordinator

Each district must designate a School-Based YA Coordinator who will have the assistance of the CESA 8 Regional YA Coordinator to promote and manage the YA program. As the school-based coordinator, you should have a good understanding of the CTE courses available through your district and at local technical colleges, as well as connections to local businesses to recruit for the YA program.

As a School-Based YA Coordinator, you will be responsible for the following: ​

Recruitment
Assisting in recruiting students; distributing promotional materials to potential YA students and parents; recruiting local businesses; coordinating and attending informational meetings with school staff, parents, and community organizations.

Applications
Overseeing the application and screening process; working with businesses to help find placements for students enrolled in the program.

Coordination
Correlating the Youth Apprenticeship experience with learning that is taking place in a classroom and is being utilized on the job; conducting job site visits at least three times annually.

Evaluation
Coordinating with the work site mentor to evaluate the youth apprentice's progress on a regular basis; documenting the successful completion of Youth Apprenticeship courses on official transcripts.