Madison, August 21, 2025 — Eleven apprentices in the skilled trades have been awarded $1,000 scholarships for the 2025-26 school year. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin’s Apprenticeship and Training Trust is funding the scholarships.
“We are proud to celebrate the excellence we saw in the application pool,” said Cheyenne Foster, Senior Apprenticeship Manager and scholarship coordinator. “The recipients of this year’s scholarship demonstrated passion for the skilled trades, a commitment to help their teammates thrive, and dedication to their families and communities.”
The 2025 apprenticeship enrollment is the largest in ABC’s history. More than 2,600 apprentices are currently training in the program. Each apprentice is employed by an ABC member and is paid while training. The scholarships will assist them with costs associated with tools, instruction at technical schools and related needs.
Apprentices who are still in their paid related instruction phase of training are eligible to apply. Applicants were asked to provide references from both an employer and an instructor, and to complete two short essays detailing their interest in the trades and the importance of the scholarship.
“It is our honor to support these apprentices in the early stages of their careers,” said Roger Thimm, Treasurer of the ABC of Wisconsin Board of Trustees. “We are so excited to see them grow and become the future leaders of Wisconsin’s construction industry.”
Funding for the scholarships was provided by many longtime ABC member companies.
“I love the generational culture within ABC. Our members are committed to their employees and apprentices and
take pride in providing top notch training and safety programs,” said Kelly Tourdot, president of ABC.
“Many of these same members are generous donors to our scholarship fund. They know that investing in apprentices will result in a stronger future for Wisconsin’s commercial construction industry.”
For more information on the ABC Apprenticeship Scholarship, visit https://www.abcwi.org/apprenticeship-
