A record 12,141 high school juniors and seniors enrolled in Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program during the 2025-2026 school year, making it the fifth consecutive year of breaking enrollment records.
It represents a 7% increase from the prior year, with students working in health science, manufacturing, marketing and more.
“My administration and I have been working hard to address our state’s generational workforce challenges and ensure our workforce can meet the needs of the 21st century. A big part of that work has been our efforts to make sure our own young people have the opportunity to gain the skills, connections and hands-on experience needed to succeed and build their careers right here in Wisconsin and to keep our homegrown talent here in our state,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Youth Apprenticeship is a one-year or two-year earn-while-you-learn program for high school juniors and seniors that pairs work and related classroom instruction in a chosen occupation.
Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to offer a youth apprenticeship program in 1991.
