Education Center & Youth Apprenticeship Program
Connecting High School Students to Technical Careers
GPS Ed operates a statewide Department of Workforce Development Youth Apprenticeship Consortium in manufacturing throughout Wisconsin. Our nationally recognized Education Center & Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program is a key talent development strategy to help employers address the skills gap.
Connecting business and student needs
Our Education Center & YA program is a cost-effective investment for a businesses talent strategy. Apprentices build skills that meet evolving business needs and contribute to their employers’ bottom line.
Contact us to see how you can get involved.
Rooted in rigorous academics and immersive, hands-on learning, our program links high school graduation requirements with industry standards. The results are stackable and transferable credentials aligned to technical career pathways that help close the gap between education and work.
See how the GPS Ed Youth Apprenticeship Program addresses these stages of the WBL Journey for students.
Equipping youth with the skills to succeed
This accelerated learning program prepares students for advanced positions beyond entry-level employment. We facilitate partnerships between hundreds of businesses and educators to create training programs that meet real-world employment needs and competencies. With on-the-job training, students are able to develop essential hard and soft skills applicable to the workplace and everyday life.
Hear How Our Partnership with Komatsu Prepared These Students For Success
Valuable post-program results
The employability and character skills our students learn help shape them into productive citizens and prepare them to be career- and college-ready. And as more students build their portfolio and graduate career-ready, businesses open themselves up to a more robust, diverse, and innovative talent pipeline.
Students seeking careers that require more education will have the opportunity to earn technical college credits and/or credentials, increasing matriculation to post-secondary education.
Hear from our WBL stakeholders on our Education Center & Youth Apprenticeship Program through our testimonial PDF.
Key elements of the GPS Ed Education Center & Youth Apprenticeship Program:
- Industry-developed skill standards
- Exposure to multiple aspects of the industry
- Skilled mentors assigned to train the students
- Paid on-the-job work experience
- Related classroom instruction concurrent with work-based learning
- Curriculum guidelines for all programs
- Performance evaluation of demonstrated competencies
- State-issued skill certificate
How does it work?
Discovery and enrollment
We partner with high schools to discover students who have a passion or need to learn in a hands-on environment. Students are evaluated thoroughly and placed with employers who have career pathways that align with their interests and aptitudes, ensuring positive outcomes for all.
Accelerate Your Workforce with Work-based Learning
Daily schedule and locations
Each student’s day is divided between classroom learning at a GPS Ed Education Centers and work-based training at one of our many business partners.
Although all learning and work are done outside of the students home school*, they must continue to play an active role in the students’ success. Academic lessons are delivered by a GPS Ed Technical Instructor and a mentor at the workplace is trained to assist students in their work-based training. Mentors also support, empower and teach students critical and applicable life-long skills. This approach also gives employees the opportunity to grow as leaders.
* Schools interested in students remaining on-premise for academic lessons should contact GPS Ed for program customization.
The Youth Apprenticeship Educational Model
GPS Ed students experience a variety of careers in the program by rotating between different partner manufacturers. This allows students to explore different work environments and business cultures, and to take on different roles and responsibilities.
Focused growth brings positive outcomes
GPS Ed was launched in 2000, educating just five students from a single school and partnering with one business. Today there are almost 1,000 graduates from more than 50 school districts that have filled the talent needs of almost 100 businesses across Wisconsin.
2020-2022 3-Year Average Outcomes //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
95%
Graduation Rate
92%
MSSC Certified Production Technician Pass Rate*
91%
Passed The National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Assessment
70%
Earned YA Certificate of Occupational Proficiency
77%
Pursuing Technical Careers
74%
Full-Time Employment Rate
*2-year seniors CPT – MSSC Pass Rate
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