Students will benefit from Lakeland University, Wis. Youth Apprenticeship partnership
Lakeland University will now offer academic credit for work experience completed through Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program, the latest innovation in removing barriers many students face to completing a college degree.
Students can earn three credits for cooperative education for prior learning earned through YA, or up to nine if they enroll at Lakeland as a degree-seeking student. The initial three credits can be used at any college/university, provided that the school will accept the credits.
Students must successfully complete a Youth Apprenticeship program, which requires a minimum of 450 hours of work-based apprenticeship experience over a 12-month period.
Lakeland launched its Cooperative Education program in 2018. Students can earn up to 25 percent of their undergraduate academic credits through work and post-work reflection in full- or part-time positions with Co-Op partner companies.
“Our Cooperative Education program recognizes the learning that happens on the job and how it complements traditional classroom learning,” said Lakeland President Beth Borgen. “This is the latest example of how we’re recognizing the academic value of structured, supervised experiential learning. Additionally, Co-Op is breaking down barriers that many students face to achieving a college degree.”
CESA 6 Director of Career Readiness Tania Kilpatrick said Youth Apprenticeship is designed to give students meaningful, hands-on experience aligned to high-demand career pathways.
“By recognizing that experience for college credit, Lakeland University is validating the rigor and real-world competencies students develop through YA,” Kilpatrick said. “This partnership not only accelerates students’ progress toward a degree, but it also strengthens the connection between education and workforce needs in our region.
“For many students, enrolling in a degree program may not be the right next step immediately after high school. This opportunity creates a clear, affordable pathway for when they are ready to advance their skills. It allows students to build on their experience over time and step into a degree program in a financially responsible way, making YA a true stepping stone in a continuous learning journey.”
There are 83 defined career pathways with documented occupational competencies covered and evaluated during the YA experience. A list can be found here.
Since the Co-Op program’s inception, Lakeland students have worked in more than 3,500 placements earning nearly 12,500 academic credits and working more than 668,000 hours. That’s an average of more than 35,000 hours per semester, and LU students have earned $10 million in wages.
An application for earning credit for YA experiences can be found at this link.
Click here to learn more about Lakeland’s Co-Op program.
Click here to learn more about Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program.
