In order to prepare students for careers in the workforce, both organizations recognized the importance of familiarizing students with their options early, but an initial lack of equipment and business partnerships made this difficult. “Giving students the experience on the job is really hard to replicate in the classroom,” said Mark Holzman, Superintendent at the School District of Janesville. Forward Janesville’s connections to local businesses opened the door for the type of community partnerships that can bridge this gap and help students to get more work-based learning experiences. Partnering with more local businesses also can allow those businesses to gain future employees and keep local talent in Janesville – strengthening the local economy in the process, said Allison DeGraaf, Director of Learning and Curriculum at the School District of Janesville. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE WORKFORCE In 2023, recognizing the need for more work-based learning opportunities in the district, the Education Council introduced the Craftsman with Character program at Craig High School and Parker High School and, in 2025, Aimee Thurner was hired as the district’s Work-Based Learning Liaison to lead the district’s work-based learning initiatives. In 2025, Forward Janesville also brought on Greg Phillips as the Workforce Development Coordinator. In Greg’s role, he helps deepen the impact of programs like Craftsman with Character and strengthens the broader relationships between industry and education. “The Craftsman with Character program was developed specifically for students who might be interested in the trades,” Thurner said. Originally created by Dave Hataj, the owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., the program’s 10th, 11th and 12th grade students spend a semester visiting participating companies to learn more about the various types of trade work in Janesville. “The point is to get high school kids to understand what’s made in your own backyard,” Phillips said. “You drive by these buildings all the time, right? You see the logos of these companies, but you really don’t know what goes on behind the walls.” Thurner said that the students also get the opportunity to do financial literacy lessons through Blackhawk Community Credit Union and tour Blackhawk Technical College. “The program just keeps growing as far as getting the community involved so that the students can have great experiences,” she said. Learning more about the trades is only one part of the program, though. The students spend every Wednesday of the semester learning more about what character means in the workforce. This ranges from developing soft skills, such as how to conduct yourself in the workplace, to understanding the importance of lifelong learning skills, such as resiliency and adaptability. “It’s a program that’s much less about the X’s and O’s of how to be a machinist or how to be a plumber,” Phillips said. “And more about the individual, and the individual learning more about who they are as an individual.” The students also memorize the Craftsman Code, which includes affirmations such as “there is dignity and purpose in knowing my trade” and “the world needs me.” For Phillips, this aspect of the program is crucial to counter what he calls a “less than” mindset in students. “It’s ‘I didn’t have the grades out of high school, so I’m just going to go straight into a factory and work.’ It’s a less than. ‘I couldn’t attain this, so I’m just going to do this,’” he said. Changing that mindset can help students understand that their future careers have value and importance for themselves and for their community as a whole. Craftsman with Character (CWC) is a pre-youth apprenticeship program that prepares students for the Youth Apprenticeship program, a work-based learning opportunity for 11th and 12th Opening the Doors to Opportunities Work-based learning creates pathways into the workforce By Jen Bastron From the early days of the partnership between Forward Janesville and the school district, it became clear that the two organizations were uniquely equipped to support workforce development in Janesville. The Spring 2026 Craftsman with Character cohort touring Blackhawk Technical College (BTC). Seeing the facilities and program offerings help students understand their post-graduation options, especially right here in Rock County. “The point is to get high school kids to understand what’s made in your own backyard. “ “Giving students the experience on the job is really hard to replicate in the classroom.” 12 | FORWARD JANESVILLE “Our belief is that it [work-based learning] builds their talent pipeline. It builds their workforce.”
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