The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) works with schools, employers, tech colleges and others to develop a total of 75 youth apprenticeship programs. Two of which are in the agriculture sector and provide a wide variety of pathway opportunities for hands-on learning. Apprenticeship Bureau Director David Polk zeroes in on just how well these ag programs are doing.

Wisconsin's registered apprenticeship system has been around since 1911. DWD’s YA program has been connecting employers with high school student workers for over 30 years.

“We currently have two agriculture registered apprenticeship programs,” says Polk. “We have the organic vegetable farmer and the dairy grazer apprenticeship. We also have 11 distinct pathways for youth apprenticeship that range from arborist and animal fundamentals to greenhouse work.”

Currently there are nine registered apprentices in the program. In the agriculture food and natural resources pathway, which houses the youth agriculture programs, the apprenticeship went from a little over 850 students in the 2021 school year to over a thousand for the 2022-2023 school year. 

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) works with schools, employers, tech colleges and others to develop a total of 75 youth apprenticeship programs. Two of which are in the agriculture sector and provide a wide variety of pathway opportunities for hands-on learning. Apprenticeship Bureau Director David Polk zeroes in on just how well these ag programs are doing.
Wisconsin's registered apprenticeship system has been around since 1911. DWD’s YA program has been connecting employers with high school student workers for over 30 years.
“We currently have two agriculture registered apprenticeship programs,” says Polk. “We have the organic vegetable farmer and the dairy grazer apprenticeship. We also have 11 distinct pathways for youth apprenticeship that range from arborist and animal fundamentals to greenhouse work.”
Currently there are nine registered apprentices in the program. In the agriculture food and natural resources pathway, which houses the youth agriculture programs, the apprenticeship went from a little over 850 students in the 2021 school year to over a thousand for the 2022-2023 school year.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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