From agriculture to healthcare, family and consumer science, to trades and technical education, so many of the tools kids across the country are using in school today are actually rooted in the Chippewa Valley area. That’s thanks to Eau Claire’s Realityworks.

For local high schoolers, the Youth Apprenticeship program offers a taste of multiple types of engineering careers from mechanical, electrical and industrial, to software testing.

But it’s important to note, Realityworks isn’t just looking for high schoolers who already know the ins and outs of engineering.

“The goal is to help students understand what engineering actually is,” said Karley Huntley, Human Resources Manager at Realityworks. “One of the biggest benefits here is that our apprentices don’t just observe.”

After seeing how Realityworks’ engineers operate, apprentices often work on projects independently. That hands-on work includes learning how to solder and troubleshoot, building prototypes, creating CAD models, working on product testing, reports and more.

“Our Youth Apprentices represent the same age group as many of the students who are ultimately using our products,” Huntley said. “Their perspectives, their ideas, their feedback is truly valuable to our development team because of that.”

Some of those educational tools and products, created by Realityworks in Eau Claire, are likely familiar to local students. The most recognizable could be the RealCare Baby, an infant simulator that’s been around for decades; the VR Welding Simulator; or the RC Tractor Pull Challenge, a STEM kit showing mechanics and physics at play in agriculture.

“As students gain experience, they’re entrusted with increasing levels of responsibility. Apprentices often work on projects independently, which builds their confidence and skills in a real way.”

Karley Huntley

Human Resources Manager at Realityworks

“Because we’re employee owned, we have an actual stake in the company’s success — there’s a strong focus here on building the long-term success and becoming part of this community,” Huntley noted. With that, comes an understanding of high schoolers’ often hectic schedules.

Apprenticeships here are built for flexibility. During the school year, students typically work between five and ten hours per week, and around 20 hours per week over the summer months.

“As students gain experience, they’re entrusted with increasing levels of responsibility,” Huntley added. “Apprentices often work on projects independently, which builds their confidence and skills in a real way.”

“We’ve done our Youth Apprenticeship program for about 20 years now, but not that many students know about it. The students we have had, have seen the results come back in a big way in their lives,” Huntley continued. “There are a number of former apprentices who were later hired full-time in a different capacity or just had the advantage of having real, significant work experience on their resumes.”

Interested in learning more about Realityworks’ Youth Apprenticeship opportunities? Reach out at employment@realityworks.com.

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