MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – Wheelers Chevrolet GMC of Marshfield gave a donation of $25,000 to the Columbus High School Technical Education and Youth Apprenticeship programs.
The donation comes as a welcome sight for a program that is growing but needs some improvements.
Columbus High School Principal Michael Lambrecht said the money will go towards acquiring new equipment for the program.
“Right now, we don’t have a lot of tools, especially in the automotive area,” Lambrecht said. “Since Wheelers is in the automotive business, we’re looking to buy more tools like diagnostic tools and hand tools. We’re also looking for a number of other upgrades within our tech ed program.”
This isn’t the first donation Wheelers has given to the program and Lambrecht said they have been instrumental in advancing the program.
“[Wheelers] has donated to the tech ed program before,” Lambrecht said. “We started talking about the need to make improvements to our tech ed program. Wheelers, one, agreed that there was a need and two, was very happy to assist because I think they saw a need for having more people go into the career and technical field in their line of business.”
Lambrecht said the donation came as a surprise to the school during a youth apprenticeship meeting.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” Lambrecht said. “We had our youth apprenticeship coordinator was over there in a meeting to get a job set up for one of our students and they wanted to contribute to the program to keep making improvements.”
The school’s tech ed program and the improvements that the school has been able to complete have been almost entirely funded by donations. Getting these donations have allowed the program to not only be upgraded but grow in numbers.
“It’s been growing each year,” Lambrecht said. “The thing I really like is we’ve had a number of students who have stayed on at those jobs. I think that’s something that employers in town really like.”
Donations have been made in the past by Wheelers along with H&S Manufacturing, Hastreiter Industries, Stainless & Repair, Lang Equipment and others. A full gallery of before and after photos of the earlier improvements can be seen on the Columbus Catholic Schools website.
According to Columbus Youth Apprenticeship and School-to-Work Coordinator Erin Hattamer, many local companies have provided opportunities for Columbus students over the past four years. Companies like Weiler’s, Spencer Machine, Altmann Builders, Jake’s Quality Repair, Kids Korner, Marshfield Medical Center, Target, Ron Meyer and Sons, and H&S have provided youth apprenticeship opportunities for Columbus students. Wheelers, Hunter Nation, UpTown Coffee, ABC Childcare Center and Mama Bears Childcare have helped give students School-to-Work options during their time at Columbus High School.
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