Gov. Scott Walker commemorates Youth Apprenticeship Day at Bradley Tech H.S.



MILWAUKEE -- Gov. Scott Walker visited Bradley Tech High School on Milwaukee's south side on Tuesday morning, September 26th to commemorate Youth Apprenticeship Day, which highlights education, training, and workforce development.

Governor Walker proclaimed September 26th as Youth Apprenticeship Day to highlight the $3.9 million in youth apprenticeship grant awards that were announced last June, providing more than 4,300 high school juniors and seniors with the ability to gain relevant work experiences prior to graduation, strengthening our future workforce.

Gov. Scott Walker



Construction, engineering, plumbing, wood-working -- skills high in demand all across Wisconsin. And these Milwaukee students are answering the call.

Aziza Phillips





Aziza Phillips is working on her apprenticeship to become a journeyman plumber one day.

"I'm going to do my five years, if they do choose me to become a registered apprentice," said Aziza Phillips, Hamilton High School student.

A big part of what Apprenticeship Day is all about is taking what students are learning in the classroom and apply it out into the workspace -- getting real-world experiences to hopefully land them a big job.

Youth Apprenticeship Day



Youth Apprenticeship Day



Inside Bradley Tech, Governor Walker helped signify the importance of apprenticeships and implore business owners to seek out skilled workers locally.

"These aren't just decent jobs, these are well paying, well fulfilling, well needed jobs in the state," said Gov. Walker.

The governor says the key to making this all work is by not only raising awareness, but also helping students take what they learn in school and apply it to what employers need.

Youth Apprenticeship Day



Youth Apprenticeship Day



For Phillips, she says she's ready for it.

"If you put your mind to it then you'll go somewhere far," said Phillips.

Governor Walker added that many of the students who are training for these kinds of hand-on-jobs could find themselves working at Foxconn in the not so distant future. A partnership he says  that will hopefully grow with time.