Wisconsin Building Trades Council Executive Director Emily Pritzkow recently penned a Labor Perspective that was published in The Daily (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Reporter. It read, in part: Apprenticeships are critical training operations that don’t get the attention they deserve for boosting the American economy and helping so many Wisconsinites find their way to lifelong careers and the Middle Class. Ensuring our communities have sustainable power, clean air and water, as well as building the institutions that keep them vibrant - schools, libraries, hospitals, housing, manufacturing plants, parks and athletic facilities - it all starts with Apprentices. Wisconsin has always been a leader in developing Apprenticeships and Skilled Craft Trades. In fact, Apprenticeship in the United States was an unregulated system until Wisconsin passed the country’s first Apprenticeship Law in 1911. The role of mentorship is critical to our success - mentorship keeps Apprentices safe and instills in them the knowledge of Career Professionals that will serve them well in their craft. Working in the Skilled Trades offers the opportunity to be creative and to work with both your mind and your hands. Apprentices focus on doing meaningful, useful and challenging work that requires knowledge and craftsmanship. They build relationships with people from all walks of life, in all kinds of environments. This is an exciting time for our industry and an incredible opportunity. We have a big-tent mentality in the Skilled Trades. It’s truly a place where people from all backgrounds and abilities can thrive. We view the work we do as central to community building - it isn’t just about being the gold standard of training and craftsmanship, but also being part of a workplace that sets the standard for treating everyone with respect and value.

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