‘Such a unique opportunity’: District 214 apprentices lead the way in state’s ambassador program

Young adults need quality preparation for successful careers.

Illinois needs highly skilled workers to perform the many diverse jobs that drive a dynamic state economy.

Pairing these facts forms a successful partnership — one recognized by the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board's ​Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship Committee, which last year launched the state’s Apprentice Ambassador Program.

In the program’s own words: “Drawing from a network of apprentices … of all ages and backgrounds from all regions and multiple industries. Apprentice Ambassadors champion apprenticeship programs by sharing success stories.”

Sharing with whom? Anyone and everyone: Career seekers, employers and educational institutions — all geared toward growing the state’s invaluable apprenticeship network. Now, in the program’s initial year for high school students, two Northwest Suburban High School District 214 apprentices have been accepted as 2025 ambassadors.

In addition to completing their apprenticeships and other academic responsibilities, Wheeling High School senior Ariel Lozner and Prospect High School senior Kenny Munao are now serving as ambassadors.

Both students are part of an expanding cohort of District 214 youth apprentices, with more than 300 participants to date, in a program that provides students the opportunity to earn wages while exploring career interests and gaining valuable job skills. Through District 214's apprenticeship program, high school seniors receive paid, hands-on training during the school year. In addition to on-the-job experience, participants work toward proficiency in a defined set of competencies, complete college coursework, benefit from mentoring, and may earn an industry-recognized credential.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Ariel and Kenny for being selected as Apprentice Ambassadors,” said Barb Kain, director for Career Discovery at District 214. “The apprenticeship program has allowed our district to facilitate amazing paid work experiences for students to develop career-relevant skills in an industry-authentic environment. Hopefully by sharing their experiences, other districts and employers will see the value of apprenticeship programs.”

In their ambassador role, Ariel and Kenny will attend an annual summit and participate in professional development and quarterly check-in sessions.

For Kenny, a multimedia specialist apprentice in Wheeling-based Community Consolidated School District 21, the incentive is simple: “I want other high school students to have this opportunity. It’s such a unique opportunity to do this during the school day and to get paid and to effectively get a grade for it.”

Munao, who is bound for the University of Missouri’s prestigious journalism program and a career in sports broadcasting, already has the public speaking skills that the ambassador program helps students hone. But he also recognizes the value of networking, which is among the program’s benefits. During their tenure, ambassadors will have the opportunity to speak at a workforce summit.

“The professional support, the public speaking, leadership and networking, this is something they get to take with them the rest of their lives,” said Jordan Johnson, who manages many of the ambassador program’s logistics.

While the benefits for apprentices may be self-evident, the ambassador program also provides a platform from which employers can explain the value they derive.

For Cassandra Young, director of communications for Wheeling-based School District 21, the answer is simple. “When I started this job, I was overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done,” she explained. Having supervised postsecondary student workers in a previous position, she approached District 214 and said a student adept at multimedia work would be helpful. From there, she and Kathy Gannon, 214’s Apprenticeship Program Supervisor, coordinated Kenny’s placement, and Young now has a reliable worker focusing on important video production and communication.

Real estate attorney Bob Naumann, whose law firm — Naumann & Associates — is hosting Ariel’s work, emphasizes that the long-term nature of an apprenticeship — 450-plus hours — allows an employer to train and utilize apprentices for substantive contributions. Rattling off a list of tasks for which Ariel has been trained, Naumann said, “What we get from Ariel is basically everything we would get if we had hired a full-time real estate assistant; he is a contributing employee.”

Young and Naumann both note that their apprentices came to work well-prepared by District 214. This frees supervisors to focus on refinement.

“Young people in general are a sponge, able to adapt quickly with a short learning curve,” Naumann said. “The school has them well prepared in terms of communication skills, so we don’t have to worry too much about that.”

This solid background, Young said, enables her to tutor apprentices on other foundational skills.

“We can focus on things like teaching them office etiquette, how to dress, how to write emails in the right way,” she said.

Sheryl Morris, who chairs the Apprentice Ambassador Committee, notes additional benefits for apprenticeship hosts. “Employers get to instill their own culture with that employee. These workers also tend to have longer retention, and companies often promote these people from within. A lot of ambassadors have gone back to school for additional training. This all is excellent marketing and branding for these employers.”

And while District 214’s ambassadors are working in office environments, the ambassador program emphasizes the wide variety of fields that can be well served by apprentices. As Morris explained, “This represents an introduction of talent for different sectors. Even parents sometimes don’t look at apprenticeships as an option for young people outside of fields like construction or electricians. We are diversifying the idea of what an apprenticeship can look like.”

As for the ambassador program’s potential for widening the appeal and occurrence of apprenticeships, Morris and her colleagues are optimistic.

“The state of Illinois is leading the charge, understanding that the idea of apprenticeship is for various sectors to build their own workforce,” Morris said. “One measure of success will be to get into more high schools and to have a measurable impact on their apprenticeship offerings, to have a deeper relationship within schools and with administrators who can help us develop this as a viable option for career development.”