CTE Dashboard

Welcome to Youth Apprenticeship!

You're taking an exciting step toward exploring a career, building real-world skills, and gaining valuable experience while you're still in high school.

Youth Apprenticeship combines paid, on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction in a career pathway that interests you. Throughout your youth apprenticeship, you'll work alongside experienced professionals, develop career-specific skills, make connections, and learn more about where your interests could take you.

Let's Get Started!

Use your YA Dashboard to complete and manage important steps throughout your Youth Apprenticeship experience.

Getting started?

Complete your Youth Apprenticeship registration and make sure all required information is accurate. Once your registration is submitted, your electronic Education and Training Agreement (ETA) will be initiated and emailed to the appropriate individuals for signatures.

Already a Youth Apprentice?

Return to your dashboard throughout the year to stay connected to your Youth Apprenticeship experience, access important information, and keep track of your progress and program requirements.

Remember, You're Not Doing This Alone

Your school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator, employer mentor, and CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship team are here to support you along the way. If you have questions, need help, or something isn't going as expected, reach out. We're here to help you have a successful Youth Apprenticeship experience.

Explore. Experience. Earn. Connect.

Your Youth Apprenticeship is an opportunity to build skills, discover what's possible, and get a head start on whatever comes next.

What Do I Need to Do?

Use this roadmap to stay on track throughout your Youth Apprenticeship. Your school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator, employer mentor, and CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship team are here to help you along the way.

1. Complete Your YA Registration

Complete your electronic Youth Apprenticeship registration and make sure your student, school, employer, and employment information is accurate.

2. Complete Your Education and Training Agreement

Once your registration is submitted, your electronic Education and Training Agreement (ETA) will be emailed to the appropriate individuals for signatures. All required signatures must be completed.

3. Begin Your Youth Apprenticeship

Complete your employer's required onboarding, orientation, and safety training and begin learning alongside your workplace mentor.

4. Complete 450+ Work Hours

Complete at least 450 hours of paid work-based learning per program year. Hours can be earned beginning June 1 through August 31 of the following year.

5. Complete Your Related Instruction

Successfully complete the related classroom instruction connected to your Youth Apprenticeship pathway. Your school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator and CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship team can help you identify related instruction that supports your pathway and future goals.

6. Build Your Skills

Work with your employer mentor to develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies in your DWD On-the-Job Learning (OJL) Guide. Use your OJL Guide throughout the year as a roadmap for your work-based learning experience.

7. Complete Your Initial OJL Evaluation

Meet with your employer mentor to review your progress and complete your Initial OJL Evaluation by December 1.

8. Complete Your Final OJL Evaluation

Meet with your employer mentor again to review your growth, update your competencies, and complete your Final OJL Evaluation by April 1.

9. Complete Your Youth Apprenticeship

Make sure your required work hours, related instruction, OJL competencies and evaluations, and other program requirements are complete.

You've worked hard - celebrate what you've accomplished! Successful completion of your Youth Apprenticeship can earn you a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Certificate of Occupational Proficiency and valuable experience, skills, and connections you can take with you into whatever comes next.

Welcome to Youth Apprenticeship!

Thank you for partnering with CESA 3 and your local school district to provide meaningful work-based learning opportunities for students.

As a Youth Apprenticeship employer, you play an important role in helping students build workplace skills, explore career opportunities, and connect what they're learning in school to real-world experiences.

Your workplace becomes an extension of the classroom, where students learn alongside experienced professionals, develop career-specific skills and competencies, and build the career readiness skills they'll take with them into the future.

Your Role in Youth Apprenticeship

Throughout the Youth Apprenticeship experience, you'll work with the student, their school, and CESA 3 to:

1. Provide meaningful, paid work-based learning aligned with the student's Youth Apprenticeship pathway.
2. Provide opportunities for the student to complete at least 450 hours of paid work-based learning per program year.
3. Identify an experienced workplace mentor to guide and support the student.
4. Use the student's DWD On-the-Job Learning (OJL) Guide as a roadmap for developing and demonstrating career-specific skills and competencies.
5. Complete and review two OJL evaluations with the student each year.
6. Provide regular guidance, feedback, and opportunities for growth.
7. Communicate with the student's school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator or CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator when questions or concerns arise.

We're Here to Support You

You don't have to navigate Youth Apprenticeship alone. Your student's school and the CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship team are here to answer questions, help with program requirements, support OJL and evaluation needs, and work with you when challenges arise.

Thank you for investing your time, knowledge, and experience in the next generation of our workforce. Your mentorship can make a lasting impact on a student's future.

Welcome to Youth Apprenticeship!

Your student is taking an exciting step toward exploring a career, gaining real-world experience, and building skills for their future.

Youth Apprenticeship (YA) is a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development program for high school juniors and seniors that combines paid, on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction in a career pathway that interests them.

Through Youth Apprenticeship, students have the opportunity to explore a career firsthand, learn alongside experienced professionals, earn while they learn, build valuable skills and connections, and make more informed decisions about what comes next after high school.

Whether your student plans to attend a four-year university or technical college, pursue a Registered Apprenticeship or other training, or enter the workforce, Youth Apprenticeship can provide valuable experience that helps prepare them for their next step.

Your Role as a Parent or Guardian

Your encouragement and support can make a meaningful difference in your student's Youth Apprenticeship experience. You can help by:

1. Encouraging your student to take ownership of their Youth Apprenticeship responsibilities.
2. Helping them balance school, work, activities, and other commitments.
3. Reinforcing the importance of attendance, punctuality, communication, professionalism, and workplace expectations.
4. Asking about what they're learning and encouraging them to reflect on their experience.
5. Encouraging your student to communicate directly with their employer mentor when they have questions or concerns.
6. Connecting with the school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator or CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship team when additional support is needed.

Remember, career exploration is about discovering both what students enjoy and what they don't. Either outcome can provide valuable insight as your student makes decisions about education, training, and careers after high school.

We're Here to Support Your Student

Youth Apprenticeship is a partnership among the student, family, school, employer, and CESA 3. Together, we're here to help your student have a safe, meaningful, and successful work-based learning experience.

If you or your student have questions about program requirements, progress, related instruction, workplace concerns, or next steps, please reach out to your school-based Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator or CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator.