Hiring Youth Apprentices - Fact Sheet for Wisconsin Employers

Basic Structure

Youth Apprenticeship (YA) is a highly successful talent acquisition strategy in which employers hire high school juniors or seniors for a one or two-year apprenticeship. During the apprenticeship, the student continues toward high school graduation and takes courses related to the profession as a way of enhancing what is being learned on the job. The YA Program is coordinated locally by regional consortia and overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Each consortium typically includes several participating high schools. Employers may hire from more than one high school and even work with multiple consortia to meet their hiring needs.

Below are the eleven YA career program areas that have been approved:

Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Architecture and Construction
Art, A/V Technology and Communications
Finance
Health Science
Hospitality and Tourism
Information Technology
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

Key Attributes for Employers

Hiring: YA coordinators help identify potential youth apprentices and assist with coordinating interviews, but employers determine who to hire and may opt to not hire any youth.
Mentors: Before hiring a youth apprentice, employers are asked to identify an individual who will act as a mentor at the workplace for the apprentice.
Education/Training Agreement: Signed by the apprentice, their parent, the employer, the school principal and the local YA coordinator, this agreement enumerates the expectations and responsibilities of each party during the apprenticeship.
Skills Checklists: Each type of apprenticeship offers a list of skills that youth are expected to learn at the workplace. These are shared with employers prior to hiring the apprentice.

Benefits for Employers

Employers have used the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program to connect with highschool students for over 30 years. Employers extend permanent job offers to more than 71 percent of the graduating youth apprentices annually, making YA an excellent pipeline for recruiting and retaining loyal, well-trained talent. Employers continually report a high level of satisfaction, and cite these program benefits.

Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship: Benefits for Employers flyer

Work Permits

Work permits are not required in Wisconsin for anyone 16 years of age and older.

Types of Work Allowed

Some types of work are deemed hazardous for minors and are not allowed. For additional information, please see these resources from DWD's Equal Rights Division (ERD): State of Wisconsin Work Permit Officer Handbook: Employment of Minors and Street Trades. Other resources are also available on the ERD website at: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/workpermit/lawguide.htm.

Employers with specific questions are encouraged to contact ERD's Labor Standards Bureau by connecting with staff online at: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/contacts.htm.

Student Learner Status of Youth Apprentices

Youth apprentices are considered Student Learners, a classification which allows them to perform some work that otherwise would be off-limits to minors when certain conditions are met. Inquire about the Student Learner Exemption if there are doubts about the work which may be asked of minors.

Hours Allowed

Youth apprentices and their employers work out their schedules, ensuring that students may continue working toward high school graduation and that any relevant "release" policies of the school board are followed. Also, Wisconsin no longer limits the number of or which hours youth ages 16 and 17 may work.

Wages

As employees, youth apprentices must be paid at least the minimum wage.

Workers Compensation

Once employed, youth apprentices are covered by their employer's workers compensation insurance policy, a program requirement. Note that workers compensation rates are not impacted by the age of employees, but rather the industry in which the employer operates.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits

If a youth apprentice is enrolled full-time in an educational institution and receives school credit for their participation in the YA Program, they are not eligible to file for UI benefits from their YA employer.

Get Started!

Start your journey with youth apprenticeship by emailing DWD YA staff at ya@dwd.wisconsin.gov, or by contacting your local YA consortium directly. A directory of consortia with contact information can be found at https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/apprenticeship/.