MADISON (1/14/20) – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-designee Caleb Frostman announced the hiring of Joshua Johnson as the State Director of the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards.
Johnson is a Milwaukee native, graduate of John Marshall High School and a former construction-craft laborer apprentice and journey worker, having built freeway systems in Milwaukee and Chicago. Johnson started with DWD in 2013 and most recently served as Section Chief of Field Operations in the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards. He previously served as a Business Services Consultant in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Johnson is excited to work on strengthening the Bureau’s current programs and partnerships, as well as expanding the reach and appeal of apprenticeship. He looks forward to growing and updating its footprint from high school-based Youth Apprenticeship to new fields in Registered Apprenticeship, such as organic farming and financial services.
“Enrolling in an apprenticeship allows an individual to simultaneously learn in-demand, transferable skills from an employer while earning family sustaining wages,” Johnson said. “It is among my top goals to make apprenticeship in Wisconsin more visible, accessible and successful than ever before.”
Johnson replaces long-time state employee, Karen Morgan, who served as the Bureau’s director since 1993 and retired in 2019. You can learn more about Johnson and his vision for the future of apprenticeship by listening to DWD’s podcast, On, Wisconsin Workforce: Episode 6 found on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. To learn more about apprenticeship visit WisconsinApprenticeship.org.
