School Views: CareerWise apprenticeships provide real world experience

Eagle County School District partners with CareerWise Eagle County and Vail Valley Partnership to offer students the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience, earn college credits and industry credentials, and earn a paycheck in our community. We support students and businesses through the process to make the experience beneficial for all parties.

For nine years, we’ve placed students into the local workforce to learn life skills that help them in their next chapter. One shining example of such a student is Estefania Jaquez Ríos. Estefania is a 2024 graduate of World Academy, and her apprenticeship has her learning and earning on the job as an inventory specialist with Vail Health. She is excelling in her position within their Supply Chain and Logistics Department.

Estefania is a highly valued team member in Vail Health’s warehouse. Her calm demeanor, attention to detail, and reliability shine through her daily work. When asked to describe an experience that she has liked best, Estefania says it has been the opportunity to shadow other departments throughout the hospital.

“These opportunities have provided me with valuable insights into how each role contributes to the overall care of patients,” she said. “It has deepened my understanding of the importance of collaboration and how the efforts of each team member, regardless of their department, play a critical part in ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.”

CareerWise Apprenticeships are a two-year program, and the process typically begins in the spring semester of a student’s junior year. Eagle County School District supports students through the application and interview process at their school.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

Once the student is offered a position from a local business, they embark on their apprenticeship with an onboarding “Young Professionals Bootcamp” and then begin working full-time in the summer between their junior and senior years. During their 12th-grade year, students continue their apprenticeship with reduced hours to accommodate their high school workload. After graduating from high school, students return to full-time employment status for the final year of the two-year apprenticeship. 

Once the apprenticeship is officially completed, there are a few different paths students tend to take. Some students have been offered a position to continue with their current employer, while others opt to seek employment elsewhere or head to college. Whatever their next steps are, CareerWise helps prepare students with experiences that support their career goals.

And while supporting students is paramount to what we do, we’re also happy we get to connect with businesses in our community. Warren Barker, Estefania’s manager at Vail Health, agreed that he finds the engagement with CareerWise and career-minded students rewarding.

“It’s an opportunity to invest daily into the lives of our county’s youth by assisting in their development of lifelong professional and social skills,” he said. “The most enjoyable part is hearing of the alumni that continue to progress within their desired career path.”

Warren’s department, Materials Management, started participating in 2022 and has worked with six student apprentices, all six of whom are now employed at higher levels across multiple departments of Vail Health. 

Warren says that CareerWise apprentices such as Estefania are an immense value-add to his department at Vail Health, and that he would absolutely recommend the CareerWise Apprenticeship Program to other businesses. 

CareerWise sets our local youth up for lifelong success by providing hands-on experience and skill development. Vail Health is just one example of how a business can participate and support such an impactful, community-based program with long-term results. If your business or organization is interested in participating, reach out to Shannon Grant, Eagle County School District’s director of Postsecondary Learning and Career Readiness, at shannon.grant@eagleschools.net.