Memorial students meet with local employers at Youth Apprenticeship Career Fair
EAU CLAIRE — As Memorial High School students entered into a busy commons on Thursday, employers greeted them to talk about apprenticeships and other career opportunities.
Memorial junior Jake Graham said he talked with a member of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development about being an electrician after high school.
'I was talking to a guy who was telling me about all of these different options they have for high schoolers, and how you can actually make a lot of money while going to school,' he said. 'It was very insightful.'
Students like Graham were able to connect with employers about apprenticeships and opportunities at Memorial's inaugural Youth Apprenticeship Career Fair. The event was put on by area organizations and the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, as earlier this week employers met students at North High School.
'We have brought just about 20 employers to the school to meet with students to discuss their job openings, talk about how they hire youth apprenticeships and just connect with students to let them know they are here in the community,' said Tina Probst, director of Workforce and Emerging Talent at the chamber. 'Students are coming down in classes, they are utilizing their lunch and their (expanded learning time)... Bringing the employers here where they can meet face to face is super crucial to let them know, one, what industries exist in our area, and two, how they can get involved in high school and beyond.'
'Teachers were encouraged to bring all of their classes down here, especially in the career and technical education fields,' said Brittnie Holden, youth apprenticeship coordinator at Memorial. 'They are here to meet and talk with what opportunities there are during high school but also outside of high school as well, because a lot of them don't really know what exactly there is to offer out there. It is just a great way to get their foot in the door and gain experience while in high school still.
'Part of my job is that I try to get the students to meet and interact with employers, and sometimes that is not a super easy thing to do. Being able to have 20 different businesses come here to us makes it a lot easier for our students to connect with them instead of having to go out and search for it… That helps the students get their foot in the door a little bit.'
With the catalog of different businesses talking directly to students about ways they can get their foot in the door for local careers, Graham said he learned more about what youth apprenticeship paths he could take.
'I just try to take as much from this opportunity as I can,' he said, talking about the fair. 'I try to learn as much as I can and see what I want to do after high school.'
'A lot of businesses are looking for opportunities to get in the schools, whether it be through doing a career fair or guest speaking,' said Probst. 'Employers, I think, are just ready to connect and get their name out there to students as an opportunity.'
The fair included a variety of industries, with tables hosting businesses in IT, engineering, healthcare, finance and more.
While Rachel Downs, financial education supervisor at Royal Credit Union, said they do try to employ four interns from Memorial every year, the opportunity on Thursday gave her a chance to talk with students who may or may not be aware of the opportunity.
'We are getting to see all of the students, and the students are getting to see a wide variety of jobs,' she said. 'I think it is a really good eye opener to a lot of students who don't know what they are doing in the future. To me, I like to be around and in front of all the students because they may not come down thinking they are interested in this position and then realize, 'Hey, that might be something I want to try out.' That is for here or for any of the other companies.'
Probst said both events have been fantastic, with a high level of student traffic and even employer interactions with freshmen who may apply to youth apprenticeships in the future. With both of the Youth Apprenticeship Career Fairs, Probst said she hopes that students know about local opportunities and feel encouraged to apply.
'I have been able to be a fly on the wall and see the interactions. I heard students say, 'I didn't know that this existed in our area,' or, 'Thank you so much for putting this together! I really appreciated getting to meet some of the businesses,'' she said. 'It is just great exposure for the opportunities that exist.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chime seeks $832M in next week's Nasdaq IPO
This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Fintech Chime said Monday it seeks to raise up to $832 million through its initial public offering. The San Francisco-based fintech is offering 32 million shares of Class A common stock priced between $24 and $26 per share. Out of the 32 million shares, around 25.9 million will be offered by Chime, while nearly 6.1 million shares will be offered by existing shareholders. Additionally, Chime plans to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 4.8 million of its Class A common stock, according to an amended filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chime, founded in 2012 by Chris Britt and Ryan King, has dubbed itself a digital banking alternative offering fee-free banking. The fintech's probable IPO date, as noted on Nasdaq, is June 12, and the offer amount, as set by Chime, is $956.8 million, with approximately 332 million shares outstanding. Chime intends to list its Class A common stock on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol 'CHYM.' In the SEC filing Chime noted that it is not a bank and its banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank, which offer Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-insured accounts. Chime is targeting a valuation of up to $11.2 billion on a fully diluted basis, Reuters reported. While filing S-1 paperwork with the SEC last month, Chime had said the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. According to Brian Graham, a partner at financial service advisory and investment firm Klaros Group, Chime waited to declare the stock price 'to test the waters and figure out investor appetites' on what price they were willing to pay. When a company is going public for the first time, it tries to compare itself to a similar entity; for Chime, that's Dave. For a company such as Circle, it would be Coinbase, Graham said. The increase in the stock price of Chime competitors signals a rebound in investor interest in this sector, while the recent surge in IPOs is driven by rising stock prices of these publicly traded fintech companies, Graham pointed out. Stablecoin issuer Circle also filed IPO paperwork last month and aims to raise $624 million through the sale of its Class A common stock. Meanwhile, eToro, a social investment fintech founded in Israel, said last month it intended to raise $500 million through its IPO. The stock prices of fintech companies dropped sharply in late 2022, largely due to rising interest rates and increased risk aversion by investors. However, since late 2024, stock prices have recovered, and along with that, there has been an increased interest in IPOs, Graham clarified. Investor perspectives drive market prices, and their desire to own fintech stocks influences stock prices, he noted. 'If you can sell what you're trying to sell for a lot more, you're more likely to want to sell it,' Graham said. For Chime to understand what investors think about its valuation, it needs to communicate with them. But a company is not legally permitted to discuss its market standing until it files an S-1 – a prerequisite for such a conversation, according to Graham. Chime executives may have had several conversations with investors to gauge their appetite and market conditions before setting the price range, he added. Other factors contributing to the uptick in IPOs include a more favorable regulatory environment and a greater acceptance of lower valuations than previously anticipated, Graham noted. In the case of neobanks, 'less adversarial and less negative' guidance towards bank-fintech partnerships is proving beneficial for the fintechs, he said. Tariff-related volatility, however, has pushed back IPO plans for other fintechs, such as buy now, pay later firm Klarna and ticketing platform StubHub. Further, Klarna's reported loss for the first quarter totaled $99 million – up from the $47 million loss it reported a year ago. The company has paused its IPO plan, which was set to value the firm at over $15 billion. Chime's revenue reached $1.67 billion in 2024 – up from $1.28 billion in 2023, while its loss decreased from $203 million in 2023 to $25 million in 2024, according to the company. Companies that hold 5% or more of Chime's capital stock include DST Global, Crosslink Capital, AI Bells, General Atlantic, Menlo Ventures and Cathay Innovation, according to the SEC filing. Though fintechs are pursuing IPOs after a two-year lull, Graham doubts it's going to open the IPO floodgates. Not every fintech company is mature enough to handle the costs and scrutiny that come with being a public company, he added. The recent IPOs could go either way and steer the market depending on whether they are successful or not, according to Deven Monga, vice president of Sales at iDeals, a global software-as-a-service company that back M&A, IPOs, and venture capital deals. 'If Chime, Circle and other similar companies are successful in their IPOs, this could encourage more fintech companies to look at IPOs as a way to raise capital, grow their profile and improve their offerings,' Monga said via email. 'Conversely, we could see more companies explore mergers and acquisitions as an avenue for growth should Chime, Circle and others be unsuccessful in their IPOs. This is particularly true as traditional financial institutions like banks look to expand their tech offerings and could look to acquire fintech companies to do so.' Recommended Reading Chime files for IPO Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Project Search graduates 10
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – 10 young adults celebrated a milestone! The interns graduated from the Project Search Program. Facilitated by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Project Search gives young adults with disabilities hands-on internship opportunities with community businesses. Graduate Jacobn Johnson explains, 'My 1st rotation is Supply Chain Management. I stocked supply rooms in, like, the surgery center, ED, and also GI. And, I worked with my mentor Jonathon to restock everything in GI after it got flooded by a cut water pipe.' Mayo Clinic Talent Solutions Specialist Chelsey Steinbrecher added, 'It has been a proven workforce solution for us, truly. It's a grow-your-own, if you think about it, from start to finish of their program. We're building them up, we're training them, and at the end of the program, they're able to work.' Project Search started in 2008 and has helped over 2000 adults across the state of Wisconsin. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
People Are Absolutely Fired Up Over This Pediatrician Seeking To Unseat Lindsey Graham In 2026
You've almost certainly heard the name (and of the various misdeeds) of Lindsey Graham if you've been politically conscious at any point since 2003. That's the year he was sworn into the US Senate, representing his home state of South Carolina. He's held the seat ever since. Senator Graham gained more national recognition during President Donald Trump's first campaign, widely and publicly criticizing him before pulling a complete 180 and defending many of his political moves over the last decade. Graham is currently serving his fourth term, but he's up for reelection next year. That's where Dr. Annie Andrews, a South Carolina doctor, comes in. She's running as a Democrat for Lindsey Graham's seat. She previously sought to defeat incumbent Republican Nancy Mace in the 2022 race for South Carolina's District 1 House seat, but was unsuccessful. I could list out her policies, but she does it best in a campaign announcement that's gone viral across platforms. She starts the video by saying she's been a pediatrician in South Carolina for nearly two decades, trusted by parents "to treat their kids for just about anything you can imagine." She then pulls out a series of X-rays of children with different medical conditions, each to highlight a specific point about her views. First is a child with measles pneumonia, "a condition easily prevented by vaccines," she says. "This is a kid with cancer. One of the diseases the NIH doesn't have the funding to study anymore," Dr. Andrews continues, showing more X-rays. "And this is a kid who's been shot. Which, despite being the number one cause of death for children in America, is no longer classified as a public health crisis." Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate / COURIER / TikTok / Via She then says, with an X-ray of a constipated patient, "And this kid, there's really no other way to say this... is quite literally full of shit." Andrews then points to a video of Senator Graham. "And this is an adult who is also completely and unequivocally full of shit." Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate / COURIER / TikTok / Via Related: This Republican Lawmaker's Embarrassing Lack Of Knowledge Of The Term "Intersex" Went Viral After He Proposed An Amendment To Cut LGBTQ+ Funding She then rolls the tape — a supercut of Graham walking back his statements about Donald Trump. "It's embarrassing, and South Carolina deserves better," Dr. Andrews says. She also slams the current administration, from Elon Musk's cutting Social Security funding to "vaccine-denying brain worm guy" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gutting healthcare programs. She also mentions Secretary of Education Linda McMahon's mass layoffs and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's war-plans-on-Signal blunder. "And Lindsey Graham voted to confirm every single one of these people," Andrews says, then bangs her head on her dining table next to a wine glass. I feel you, girl. "All while backing Trump's plan to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires while raising yours. No wonder he won't show his face here in South Carolina," she goes on, cutting to a clip of Graham. "I don't need a town hall to know what to do," he says in it. "Lindsey Graham has been a senator for half of my lifetime — and as it turns out, most senators don't get better with age," Dr. Andrews says. "Will winning this race be easy? No. But you can't win if you don't run. And the one thing we can all agree on is [that] Lindsey Graham doesn't deserve a free pass back to D.C." Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate / COURIER / TikTok / Via Related: "I Am So Torn With What You Are Doing" — 11 Posts From MAGA Business Owners Who Are So Close To Getting It "Now, Lindsey is gonna tell you I'm radical, that I'm crazy. Because that's what weak men do when they feel threatened by strong women," she continues before offering a look into her very normal life as a busy mom and peek-a-boo-playing pediatrician. "SO radical," she jokes. "I also just happen to be someone who isn't afraid of a fight. And like so many of you, I am worried about what the future holds for our kids and our state," she says, then goes on to name issues like the climate crisis, failing hospitals and schools, and prices driven up by tariffs. "Worrying won't do anything, but stepping up to join me in this fight just might," Dr. Andrews says. "A fight where we put our common sense over culture wars and hope over hate." "Right now, Lindsey Graham is counting on all of us to stay quiet. And that means one thing — it's time to get loud. I'm Dr. Annie Andrews, and I hope you'll join me," she concludes. Courier posted the video on TikTok, where people were absolutely fired up. "YES. DOCTORS IN POLITICS," the top comment reads. Some folks said that Dr. Andrews is bringing the energy that Democrats have been lacking... ...and the youth. "This is how we flip Congress. An impressive and competent candidate who understands the messaging we need to be pushing. Well done," this person wrote. A lot of people were just blown away by her poise and candor. A TON of South Carolina folks were super amped up. "One of the best ads I've seen," someone wrote. You can watch Dr. Andrews's full ad here. Dr. Annie Andrews for Senate / COURIER / TikTok / Via So, what do you think? Share alllll your thoughts in the comments. Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: "We Don't Import Food": 31 Americans Who Are Just So, So Confused About Tariffs And US Trade Also in In the News: Republicans Are Calling Tim Walz "Tampon Tim," And The Backlash From Women Is Too Good Not To Share
