Monroe County, Indiana – This school year, a quiet but powerful shift is unfolding inside the Monroe County Community School Corporation, where high school hallways are becoming the starting point of fully realized career journeys. Through the UpSkill apprenticeship program—an initiative led by Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI)—students are stepping directly into engineering labs, computer support departments, and financial institutions, gaining experiences that typically take years of college and early employment to secure.
The structure of the UpSkill program is simple but ambitious: students commit to two or three years of part-time work with a local employer, balancing a limited number of weekly work hours with their regular school load. In return, they receive not only a paycheck but also mentors, practical training, and an early understanding of what it means to operate in a professional environment. Along the way, they learn to manage deadlines, navigate expectations, and shape future ambitions with a level of clarity many adults wish they had as teenagers.
A Student Engineer in the Making
For Bloomington High School North senior Van Hnem, engineering isn’t an abstract goal—it’s a daily reality. As an electrical engineering intern at the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI), she is already designing her first professional project.
Her tools are the same as those used by career engineers, including AutoCAD, a program she has been practicing in her Hoosier Hills Career Center engineering courses.
“After I graduate, I want to be an engineer,” said Hnem. “My teacher, Mr. Meyers, told me about this apprenticeship program, and I thought it would be a wonderful way to start learning more about electrical engineering if I wanted to go down that path. I thought PARI would be the perfect opportunity.”
Her internship is also influencing her college search. She has long admired Purdue University—well known for its engineering programs—but she is keeping her plans flexible in case this early experience redirects her focus.
“Before electrical engineering, I wanted to be a civil engineer. But right now, I’m pushing back all specific plans just in case this internship goes really well,” she said.
Hnem’s passion for building actually began years ago, sparked unexpectedly through hours spent creating worlds in Minecraft.
“I loved the building process. I thought it was super cool to see what I envisioned turn into something, and that’s why I wanted to be an engineer,” she said.
Since then, she has immersed herself in the Project Lead the Way engineering pathway, taking multiple hands-on courses at BHSN and Hoosier Hills Career Center. These classes, she said, have been essential.
“In Intro. To Engineering and Principles of Engineering, we had a lot of group collaboration and a lot of independent work, and I really enjoyed that,” said Hnem. “We went into the workshop and actually built things using AutoCAD. It is a struggle when you first start, but the more you use it, the easier it gets.”
Beyond the technical skills, Hnem says the UpSkill experience has connected her with a broader community of students who share her interests.
“I tell my friends about the pay, and they’re shocked about it. In addition to that, it’s been fantastic,” said Hnem. “Over the summer, I met a lot of other students with similar interests in the UpSkill program through the welcome orientation. We also got more opportunities to develop our skills.”
Developing I.T. Skills One Component at a Time
Just across the school from Hnem, junior Zach Schmidt is carving out his own early career path. Schmidt works as an I.T. apprentice at Tasus, where his days involve everything from repairing computers to running network cabling.
“I’m currently taking a computer repair and maintenance class, which is what I’m doing at work,” said Schmidt. “I’ve also done everything from helping to run network cable to disassembling hard drives.”
Tasus, part of the internationally operated Tsuchiya Group, gives Schmidt exposure to the demands and expectations of a global company—a point he doesn’t take lightly.
“I’m working for a multinational corporation because Tasus is owned by the Tsuchiya Group,” said Schmidt. “That’s enough merit in itself, but through the UpSkill program I’ve also earned the CompTIA A+ Certification, which is a baseline requirement for any I.T. position.”
Balancing his workload and extracurricular commitments hasn’t been easy. Schmidt participates in Civil Air Patrol, reducing the number of days he can work each week. But next year, as a senior, he plans to shift to half-day work hours to deepen his experience.
“I used to work more hours, but on Thursdays I have Civil Air Patrol, and since I started doing after-school clubs, I now just work two days,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt is a dual-pathway student—pursuing both computer science and the Project Lead the Way engineering sequence. He began exploring engineering back in eighth grade after spotting the Introduction to Engineering course in the curriculum guide.
“I saw the Introduction to Engineering class in the curriculum guide when I was in eighth grade, and I saw the opportunity for dual credit, so I signed up for it. I liked it, so I decided to do engineering all four years,” said Schmidt.
Looking ahead, Schmidt is considering Daytona State College or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His advice for students thinking about apprenticeships is simple: prepare for a transition.
“It’s such a big jump going to regular work hours … but it’s experience and earning a good wage at 16 — it’s not bad,” said Schmidt.
Gaining Confidence Through Customer Service
For BHSN junior Ghita Oskouie, the apprenticeship world looks different but offers just as much growth. Employed as a customer service specialist at German American Bank, she manages responsibilities that require professionalism and maturity.
“This internship has put me on the right path forward. It’s a huge responsibility for someone my age and I think it’s going to help me in the future,” said Oskouie. “I think I’m more prepared in my confidence. Because it’s such a responsible job, I think it also helps me with my public speaking. Knowing how to start conversations with customers and co-workers will also help me with networking.”
Oskouie is working toward graduating high school early to begin a degree in business or accounting. Staying local is important to her, especially because she hopes to continue her apprenticeship alongside college.
“I want to stay local. I want to be able to continue my apprenticeship,” said Oskouie. “I definitely want to go to IU Bloomington. I already applied, so we’ll see how that goes.”
Expanding Pathways for All Students
Across Monroe County, students are encouraged to pursue pathways that let them combine academics with real-world experiences—whether through apprenticeships, dual credit courses, career centers, or on-site work experiences. For many, the UpSkill program is becoming a bridge that connects classroom learning with authentic, career-shaping moments.
High schoolers who want to explore these opportunities can reach out to their counseling offices, where staff can guide them toward work-based learning options that fit their interests and goals.
As this year shows, the next generation of engineers, I.T. professionals, and business leaders may not be waiting for college to begin their careers—they are already at work, learning, building, and imagining possibilities long before the caps and gowns appear.
