A statewide apprenticeship program always sounded good in theory for the opportunities it provides to young people. But getting it off the ground hinged on making employers understand that they stand to benefit as well.

Companies based in Mesa County are doing their part to learn how by putting the theory in practice. Eleven local companies have agreed to take on 14 local high school students for three-year apprenticeships through CareerWise, a new statewide program that seeks to replicate how Switzerland makes career training a part of the secondary education experience.

The word apprenticeship conjures up images of young men on a singular path of becoming pipefitters or electricians. Today’s apprenticeships are much more expansive, opening a world of opportunity rather than locking students into a narrow vocational field.

Read more at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.