Tyson Gehrke, a senior at Fennimore High School, has been a part of the youth apprenticeship program since he was a junior. After taking many of his high school business classes and starting a job at Community First Bank in Fennimore as a teller, his business teacher, Samantha Goss, encouraged him to join the youth apprenticeship program.
The youth apprenticeship program is a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development program that provides high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, training, and related instruction courses in their chosen career pathway while allowing employers to develop a qualified and committed workforce. CESA 3, based in Fennimore, Wisconsin, coordinates the program for the school districts in the Southwest Wisconsin region including schools in Grant, Crawford, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland Counties. In addition, each CESA 3 school district designates a staff member as the school-based youth apprenticeship coordinator. At Fennimore High School, the school-based youth apprenticeship coordinator is Jonah Roth.
Gehrke feels strongly that his experience working at Community First Bank has allowed him to connect what he’s learning in the classroom to his real-life work experiences.
“My everyday tasks are to communicate with customers as a teller and answer any questions that they may have. I have also had the opportunity to learn about the behind-the-scenes operations at a bank. Knowing the why of transactions is important while working at a bank and what I am learning in the classroom connects to that why,” explained Gehrke.
His youth apprenticeship experience has made him realize that combining his interest in agriculture with his passion for business and finance creates an exciting outlook on his future career path.
“I have always been strong in school. I have had an interest in agriculture since I was young and am active with FFA. After realizing that I had a passion for business and finance, I joined Future Business Leaders of America and have won numerous competitions in accounting,” Gehrke shared. “Having a basic knowledge of finance has allowed me to excel in my current position at the bank. Through the work experience I have received by participating in the youth apprenticeship program, it has made me realize the career field that I am interested in.”
In addition, he has been able to get a head start on his college coursework through related instruction courses paid for through the youth apprenticeship program.
“The youth apprenticeship program has paid for me to take classes at Southwest Tech that have helped me get a better understanding of the career field and have given me a head start on my college education,” he added. “These opportunities have built the foundation for me as I plan to major in Agriculture Business with a minor in Finance, to hopefully get into agriculture finance when I am finished with college. This experience will help me in the future as I pursue opportunities as an ag lender. Overall, the youth apprenticeship program has helped me greatly in determining a potential career path.”
In addition to helping guide his career journey, Gehrke appreciates the professional and educational connections he has made.
“I have great co-workers at the bank who will be there if I need anything after high school. Also, having the connection to the bank could help me in the future get a job or a recommendation from a co-worker. Likewise, I am excited about the connections that I can make through my college classes at Southwest Tech. Getting to know the teachers could help me in the future as they could recommend me for job positions. There are also guest speakers in my Beginning Farm Management night class, and I am looking forward to meeting them and hearing about their experiences. The youth apprenticeship program has set me up for life after high school because of the connections I have made through it,” he shared.
Gehrke recommends the youth apprenticeship program to other high school students for many reasons.
“It’s a chance to not only get a higher level of education for free, but also on the job experience. I know from my work experience that I will be much more comfortable talking to future customers than I was before the program. This is a great opportunity for students to take advantage of and, if done correctly, can allow students to both save money and make money while working in high school. The youth apprenticeship program has set me up for future success and I could not be more pleased with the work experience I have gained and the education I have received,” he expressed.
Youth apprenticeship provides many benefits to both students and employers.
“As an employer, we get a unique glimpse into the day-to-day activities the student participates in, and we learn about additional opportunities to support our community,” shared Kimberly Perry, Community First Bank Branch Manager/Customer Experience Center Coordinator. “We also have an incredible opportunity to help develop the innate skills of the student, as well as those that may not come naturally. We get to give them a sneak peek into all the different roles we have at the bank, which can be beneficial for career planning. As a leader, I am passionate about helping my team get to where they want to be in life, not just at CFB. With Tyson, I get to do that every day. The Youth Apprenticeship program helps show young adults how to hone in on the skills that make them a desirable employee. I would definitely recommend the youth apprenticeship program to other employers because these students are our future. If we can develop their skills, support them in their goals, and help them get to their next steps in life, that is an honor. It benefits everyone.”
The youth apprenticeship program is a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development program that provides high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, training, and related instruction courses in their chosen career pathway while allowing employers to develop a qualified and committed workforce. CESA 3, based in Fennimore, Wisconsin, coordinates the program for the school districts in the Southwest Wisconsin region including schools in Grant, Crawford, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland Counties. In addition, each CESA 3 school district designates a staff member as the school-based youth apprenticeship coordinator. At Fennimore High School, the school-based youth apprenticeship coordinator is Jonah Roth.
Gehrke feels strongly that his experience working at Community First Bank has allowed him to connect what he’s learning in the classroom to his real-life work experiences.
“My everyday tasks are to communicate with customers as a teller and answer any questions that they may have. I have also had the opportunity to learn about the behind-the-scenes operations at a bank. Knowing the why of transactions is important while working at a bank and what I am learning in the classroom connects to that why,” explained Gehrke.
His youth apprenticeship experience has made him realize that combining his interest in agriculture with his passion for business and finance creates an exciting outlook on his future career path.
“I have always been strong in school. I have had an interest in agriculture since I was young and am active with FFA. After realizing that I had a passion for business and finance, I joined Future Business Leaders of America and have won numerous competitions in accounting,” Gehrke shared. “Having a basic knowledge of finance has allowed me to excel in my current position at the bank. Through the work experience I have received by participating in the youth apprenticeship program, it has made me realize the career field that I am interested in.”
In addition, he has been able to get a head start on his college coursework through related instruction courses paid for through the youth apprenticeship program.
“The youth apprenticeship program has paid for me to take classes at Southwest Tech that have helped me get a better understanding of the career field and have given me a head start on my college education,” he added. “These opportunities have built the foundation for me as I plan to major in Agriculture Business with a minor in Finance, to hopefully get into agriculture finance when I am finished with college. This experience will help me in the future as I pursue opportunities as an ag lender. Overall, the youth apprenticeship program has helped me greatly in determining a potential career path.”
In addition to helping guide his career journey, Gehrke appreciates the professional and educational connections he has made.
“I have great co-workers at the bank who will be there if I need anything after high school. Also, having the connection to the bank could help me in the future get a job or a recommendation from a co-worker. Likewise, I am excited about the connections that I can make through my college classes at Southwest Tech. Getting to know the teachers could help me in the future as they could recommend me for job positions. There are also guest speakers in my Beginning Farm Management night class, and I am looking forward to meeting them and hearing about their experiences. The youth apprenticeship program has set me up for life after high school because of the connections I have made through it,” he shared.
Gehrke recommends the youth apprenticeship program to other high school students for many reasons.
“It’s a chance to not only get a higher level of education for free, but also on the job experience. I know from my work experience that I will be much more comfortable talking to future customers than I was before the program. This is a great opportunity for students to take advantage of and, if done correctly, can allow students to both save money and make money while working in high school. The youth apprenticeship program has set me up for future success and I could not be more pleased with the work experience I have gained and the education I have received,” he expressed.
Youth apprenticeship provides many benefits to both students and employers.
“As an employer, we get a unique glimpse into the day-to-day activities the student participates in, and we learn about additional opportunities to support our community,” shared Kimberly Perry, Community First Bank Branch Manager/Customer Experience Center Coordinator. “We also have an incredible opportunity to help develop the innate skills of the student, as well as those that may not come naturally. We get to give them a sneak peek into all the different roles we have at the bank, which can be beneficial for career planning. As a leader, I am passionate about helping my team get to where they want to be in life, not just at CFB. With Tyson, I get to do that every day. The Youth Apprenticeship program helps show young adults how to hone in on the skills that make them a desirable employee. I would definitely recommend the youth apprenticeship program to other employers because these students are our future. If we can develop their skills, support them in their goals, and help them get to their next steps in life, that is an honor. It benefits everyone.”
To learn more about youth apprenticeship, visit https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cesa3.org%2Fcareer-life-readiness%2Fyouth-apprenticeship-program.cfm&data=05%7C02%7Ctyra%40morriswi.com%7C6421c721c70846dde08e08dc1841ca2c%7C596d7feeb08c4816b9fc4c6034829fc6%7C1%7C0%7C638411918192416892%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Iy1JAZ6OQ2MXXrSFU%2BL83%2F2jemXiUQgt9PRKeum%2Fb%2FM%3D&reserved=0 or contact Jessica Helms, CESA 3 Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator, at jhelms@cesa3.org or (608) 822-2141.
