Governor Walker Announces $3.2 Million in Youth Apprenticeship State Grants at United Pride Dairy, LLC

Phillips – Governor Scott Walker joined United Pride Dairy, LLC leaders and employees today in Phillips to announce statewide Youth Apprenticeship (YA) grants totaling $3.2 million. The grants are awarded to 32 regional consortiums across Wisconsin for the 2016-17 school year.

“The key to Wisconsin’s future success rests in our ability to provide the next generation of workers with the practical skills they need to succeed,” Governor Walker said. “That’s why we continue to make investments in workforce development programs like Youth Apprenticeship and Dual Enrollment.”

United Pride Dairy, LLC is a multi-family, 1,800 milking cow dairy farm that has mentored and trained several youth apprentices over the last few years from both Phillips High School and Prentice High School.

“United Pride Dairy is a great example of the Youth Apprenticeship program in action and highlights the importance of these grants. Working together, we’re helping over 3,600 Wisconsin youth get hands-on training from professionals in high-demand fields,” Governor Walker added.

Governor Walker announced earlier this year an additional $1 million investment in the YA program, which will serve approximately 600 additional Wisconsin students.

Established in 1991, Wisconsin’s YA program is part of a statewide School-to-Work initiative. The program is designed for high school students who want to develop their skills through a hands-on learning experience at a work site combined with classroom instruction. YA gives Wisconsin’s high school students with the opportunity to explore career options while earning a wage and gaining work experience. Students who complete the program receive a YA completion certificate and may receive technical college credit and graduate with the skills needed to accept an entry-level position in their occupational area.

During the 2015-16 school year, YA grant awards supported work-based learning opportunities for over 2,000 businesses across ten career clusters for more than 3,000 students who were paid an average wage of $9.62 per hour. The top three areas for participation were:

• Manufacturing – 622 students;
• Health Services – 552 students; and
• Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources – 495 students.

The graduation rate for eligible youth apprentices was 83 percent last year, and 80 percent of the two-year graduates were offered employment opportunities upon completion of the YA program.

The 2016-17 Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Grant awardees are attached.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.