Time and again, apprenticeships have proven to be a reliable pathway to excellent jobs with family-sustaining wages. The Tools of the Trade scholarships offer crucial assistance, helping students successfully complete their education, ensuring skilled talent for employers statewide.
Milwaukee Area Technical College students in apprenticeship programs recently got some green to get some gear.
April 30 was National Apprenticeship Day and for more than 110 years Wisconsin has led the country in offering apprenticeships as an effective and rewarding education and career pathway.
Also that day, 18 MATC construction and industrial trade apprentices received Tools of the Trade scholarships from the Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit organization that helps people attain educational and career goals.
This year, Ascendium awarded 801 scholarships to construction and industrial apprentices in the 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System. Since its creation in 2013, the program has provided more than $6 million in scholarships to 4,300 apprentices across the state.
Each apprentice received $2,000 to purchase specialized equipment needed for apprenticeships, such as hand tools, reinforced and fire-resistant work pants, helmets, heavy-duty gloves, safety goggles, protective jackets and steel toe boots.
MATC apprentices who received scholarships in 2025 were:
Electrician: Emma Arndt, Nathanael Borgwardt, Edward Farrell, Marek Kruszlinski, Andrew Mattiacci, Patrick Ratzburg, Jennette Roessler, Joseph Romanski, Casey Sobieski, David Toeller, Andrew Woods
Environmental Service Technician: Jason Brinkmeier
HVAC: Travis Chitwood
Sheet Metal: Daniel Gonzalez, Adrian Martinez, Siphanh Phongsavath
Steamfitting: Blake Martz, Dalton Webb
“The Tools of the Trade scholarships have been particularly beneficial to those just starting their apprenticeship,” said David Stuart, MATC’s director of apprenticeships and special projects. “That’s a critical time when many students need help the most to stay competitive in their particular area of study.”
Read about previous Tools of The Trade scholarship winners:
MATC offers 15 construction and industrial apprenticeship programs that provide learners with paid, on-the-job experience along with classroom instruction.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, more than 3,000 employers in 200 occupations are currently involved in apprenticeships.
Based on a recent state survey, individuals who received an apprenticeship completion certificate from a WTCS college in 2022-23 reported earning a median annual salary of $96,733.
"Time and again, apprenticeships have proven to be a reliable pathway to excellent jobs with family-sustaining wages,” said WTCS President Layla Merrifield. “The Tools of the Trade scholarships offer crucial assistance, helping students successfully complete their education, ensuring skilled talent for employers statewide.”
Wisconsin has a long tradition of apprenticeship training. The state passed the nation’s first apprenticeship law in 1911, which regulated apprenticeship programs and established the state’s vocational school system. Wisconsin’s apprenticeship law remains one of the most robust in the United States.
In 2024, the state recorded a record number of 17,542 apprentices, surpassing the previous mark of 16,926 apprentices in 2023. That’s an 81% increase from 2012, when the state experienced a 24-year low in apprentices.
“For many learners from low-income backgrounds, finding a credential or training program that offers a clear return on their time and money is difficult,” said Keith Witham, Ascendium’s president and chief executive officer. “Because they offer applied, job-relevant training and allow learners to continue getting paid while completing that training, apprenticeships are a compelling option for those seeking a clear path to a better career.”
Learn more about MATC’s apprenticeship programs
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.