The eighth annual National Apprenticeship Month was celebrated Nov. 14-20, 2022. It is a nationwide celebration involving industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, civic, and government leaders.

The EDC helped showcase Youth Apprenticeships (YA) through school districts in the county and Registered Apprenticeships (RA) through Wisconsin’s technical colleges.

An apprenticeship provides real-life opportunities that cannot be duplicated in any other training program. They involve supervised, structured, on-the-job training and learning. With public school districts, YAs integrates school-based and work-based learning for students in employability and occupational skills, as defined by Wisconsin industries. Paid on-the-job work experience is an important part of YAs. RAs prepare skilled trades people (journey workers) to the workforce in Wisconsin. It is an earn-while-you-learn program of on-the-job training combined with trade-related classroom instruction.

St. Croix EDC made stops at River Falls State Bank (River Falls), McDonald’s (River Falls), Northside Power Equipment (Woodville), Green Kleen Products (Glenwood City), and Comar (Woodville).

Congratulations to the school districts, technical colleges, students, and employers for making the apprentice programs in the St. Croix Valley a strong and successful one.

Submitted by St. Croix EDC

The St. Croix EDC Business Retention Committee visited McDonalds in River Falls to recognize (from left) student Kevin James, mentor Lori Hoeft and advisor Melisa Hansen. Photo courtesy of St. Croix EDC