By Jessica Helms
Students across our region are gaining hands-on experience and career-ready skills through an innovative partnership between local schools and Building Automation Products, Inc. (BAPI) in Gays Mills. Through the Manufacturing Youth Apprenticeship program, BAPI has developed a customized experience that offers high school students an immersive and well-rounded introduction to modern manufacturing.
BAPI’s program goes beyond the basics. Students rotate through various departments—including production, hand soldering, shipping/receiving, and quality control—providing a comprehensive view of the manufacturing process. This unique structure builds practical skills while helping students uncover their interests and talents within the industry. After completing the rotation, students select a focus area to complete the remainder of their youth apprenticeship.
“We at BAPI feel that the Youth Apprenticeship program is important because we can educate and train young workers while they’re in high school to better prepare them for the workforce. This phase is especially important because if there are skill gaps, we can quickly address and educate the student to better arm them for success. Our ultimate goal is to retain them as full-time employees after high school. The Youth Apprenticeship experience allows them to understand our culture and processes to hit the ground running,” explained Josh Emery, HR Generalist at BAPI.
Both Gavin Finnell and Payton Holcombe completed the program during the 2024-2025 school year.
“As a junior, I toured BAPI and developed an interest in the company,” shared Payton Holcombe, a student at Kickapoo School District and a current BAPI youth apprentice student. “I’ve always had an interest in technology and electronics, along with computer work and efficiencies, and the work they do at BAPI was incredibly interesting to me.”
BAPI’s comprehensive apprenticeship experience allowed Payton to explore each department and better understand the inner workings of a modern manufacturing facility.
“It’s been fun and interesting to see different things and the role of the different departments. By seeing all aspects of the manufacturing process, I understand all aspects and can see the whole picture,” Payton added. “This experience has helped me develop a stronger work ethic by helping me understand the expectations of BAPI and other employers. I truly believe that it has set up my future. I’m planning to attend Southwest Tech in the fall for IT-Cybersecurity and will be working at BAPI part-time and maybe even after graduation. I feel comfortable here and really like the people and the environment.”
BAPI’s commitment to nurturing future talent is a key driver behind the program’s success. Their customized approach supports their long-term workforce goals by building a talent pipeline and retaining employees. In addition, BAPI actively engages with local school districts to raise awareness of manufacturing careers through tours, classroom presentations, speaking engagements, and career fairs.
“We believe in investing in our local students,” Emery. “We have received a lot of good feedback from local school districts showing strong interest in this program and feel our efforts are truly paying off. As a youth apprentice, Payton’s productivity has been off the charts. Payton was doing very specific and detailed work in our encapsulation room and during his youth apprenticeship, he split his time to complete his requirements in his assigned department and was able to help encapsulation when needed. His ambition, communication, attendance, and time management have allowed him to succeed in every aspect of his manufacturing pathway. Payton communicated well, showed up on time, and gave 110 percent while at work. We plan to work with him as he attends college to get him exposure to our IT department so that when he receives his formal schooling, we potentially have work for him after college.”
2025: Our Strongest Year Yet for Youth Apprenticeship
The 2024-2025 school year set record numbers for youth apprenticeship yet again, finishing the year with 600 youth apprentice students and 467 active employers. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources was the top program area, followed by Health Science, Marketing, and Architecture and Construction. The average hourly wage for youth apprentices was $14.24 per hour.
The Youth Apprenticeship is the ultimate capstone experience that allows students to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to the real world in a work-based learning environment. Youth apprenticeship empowers students to graduate with both confidence and a clear understanding of their future opportunities.
By participating in CESA 3’s youth apprenticeship program, high school juniors and seniors have the opportunity to:
• Explore career pathways and validate their post-secondary plans
• Earn at least minimum wage
• Receive up to six college credits per year
• Gain valuable real work experience
• Network with potential future employers
• Graduate with a Certificate of Occupational Proficiency from the Department of Workforce Development
• Bridge into a registered apprenticeship
Scaling Impact Through Strategic Partnerships Supported by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
In 2022, CESA 3, Southwest Tech, and UW-Platteville were awarded a three-year Workforce Innovation Grant by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to strengthen the manufacturing talent pipeline. CESA 3’s role has been focused on increasing the number of youth apprentices in manufacturing.
With support from the grant, the Southwest Wisconsin Alliance for Growth (SWAG) in Manufacturing was established. SWAG in Manufacturing is a regional manufacturing industry alliance with a mission to create an environment that supports the growth of a sustainable manufacturing workforce in Southwest Wisconsin by collaborating with their communities to build awareness about what manufacturing has to offer. Their vision is to make manufacturing the career of choice in Southwest Wisconsin.
CESA 3’s goal throughout the grant period (2022–2025) was to enroll 20 students annually in the manufacturing pathway. Thanks to strong partnerships and the dedication of area manufacturers, we have far exceeded that goal—proving what’s possible when education and industry work together.
Jessica Helms is a CESA 3 Career and Life Ready Coordinator