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Boldt Hosts First Illinois Youth Apprentice

Meredith Yoch starts her days at 6 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But instead of driving straight to Downers Grove North High School, her first classroom of the day is on the job site of Boldt’s Advocate Health – Westmont construction project in Westmont, Ill

That’s where Meredith earns while she learns as part of her youth apprenticeship with Boldt. The three-month-long apprenticeship marks the first of its kind in construction for the high school and is Boldt’s first youth apprenticeship in the state. Boldt also offers youth apprenticeships in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan and is introducing them in Oklahoma later this year.

A Long-Time Vision Becomes Reality
Ryan Yoho, area manager, for Boldt’s Chicago area office has long wanted a youth apprentice on a job site. Ali Burke, project manager, Rob Stadler, superintendent and James Quinn, safety manager, expressed interest in hosting a youth apprentice on the 44,160 SF two-story medical office building job site. They recognized that Downers Grove North High School was just a few blocks away from the job site, making it a convenient location for a student interested in a construction-related youth apprenticeship.

For Ryan, the impetus for a youth apprenticeship was to give a student a sightline into the construction industry. That’s something he didn’t have until he was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“That ‘day in the life’ on the job site, seeing a project come to life, is what made the work real for me,” said Ryan. “Students shouldn’t have to wait until college to have awareness, and with the labor shortage in the industry nationwide, we need more exposure to students before they finish high school.”

He had an ally in the entire team on the job site that helped make the apprenticeship a reality.

“When Ryan brought this up, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of as I didn’t have these opportunities in high school,” said Ali.

Rob and Ali reached out to Downers Grove North High School, only to learn none of the school’s current construction work-based learning opportunities offered an internship or apprenticeship on a construction job site. That prompted involvement by Allison Knautz, workforce development manager, to structure an apprenticeship to meet the state’s work-based learning requirements, comply with job site safety and meet Boldt’s other expectations. Armed with a plan, Allison connected with Brian Veit, CTE department chair at the high school, who was very receptive to the opportunity.

“With growing student interest in the trades, this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Brian.

“I don’t think I grasped how difficult the work would be; how much teamwork it takes,” said Meredith. “I also wasn’t expecting to see the production boards with everything planned day by day, week by week. It’s helpful to visualize the work like that.”

She also has noticed how much communication and camaraderie matter to the work.

“It’s become clear how much communication it takes to keep the job flowing as it should,” said Meredith. “I like seeing how much of a community there is on a job site.”

In addition, the hands-on activities allowed Meredith to connect dots from the architectural courses she took in high school to the construction industry.

“Getting out here and being part of the actual building is cool,” said Meredith. “This has given me a better understanding of the difference between designing and building.”

An Exercise in Self-Discovery
Meredith has discovered a passion for building and is considering a career in carpentry. For now, her future career steps are still to be determined as she decides between pursuing her first passion of auto mechanics or a career in carpentry, electricity or HVAC. Upon graduation from high school in May, she plans to move to Pennsylvania to live with her grandparents. At that time, she will decide which of the universities and trade schools that accepted her is the right fit for her post-secondary education. In the meantime, she is earning high-school credit for her internship as well enjoying the diverse experiences she’s having on the job site thanks to her apprenticeship.

Rob said the value she has received is a credit to Meredith and her willingness to fully embrace the value and opportunities of the apprenticeship.

“She’s really involved out on the job site, and she’s not afraid to ask people questions to get the answers she needs,” said Rob.

As for the freshmen and sophomores at her school, Meredith says participating in a youth apprenticeship “is a good opportunity to see the trades. It’s worth it because you get to be a part of something important and can look back on it and think, ‘I did that,’” she said.

As one of her mentors, Ali has enjoyed teaching Meredith about construction so she can make an educated decision about her future career.

“There are so many trades to choose from, and it’s about finding your passion,” said Ali. “I see Meredith come into the trailer every day with a smile on her face and the team out in the field saying how much they enjoy working with her. We are all excited for Meredith and her future. Even if Meredith decides she’s more interested in cars, that is still a success because she has had the experience and understands what each trade offers.” 

A Pipeline for the Future 
Allison credits the entire team on the job site with making the apprenticeship a resounding success for Meredith.

“It’s their mentoring and sharing industry knowledge and hands-on instruction that have made this a valuable and positive learning experience for her,” said Allison.

While Meredith’s apprenticeship finishes in May, the Boldt team looks forward to offering additional apprenticeships in the future, recognizing it as an important opportunity for talent attraction.

“Youth apprenticeship programs play a crucial role in shaping the construction industry’s future workforce. Boldt’s investment in, and commitment to, youth apprenticeships help to cultivate a skilled and diverse workforce, address the current labor shortage and ensure the industry’s sustainability,” said John Huggett, vice president and general manager.

Interested in becoming a youth apprentice? Visit our skilled trades page to learn more.

About The Boldt Company
The Boldt Company (Boldt) is a leading professional construction services firm with customers across the United States and is a subsidiary of The Boldt Group. Founded in 1889, Boldt is a fourth-generation family and employee-owned firm headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. Boldt is recognized as a pioneer in Lean construction and in the industrialized construction space. Boldt operates 18 offices across the U.S. that serve customers in healthcare, power, industrial, education, automotive and commercial markets.