“One thing I love about the youth apprenticeship model is the young talent that we are getting in the door; they’re capable, coachable, and eager to learn,” said Marissa Ulrich. As the Director of Leadership & Cultural Development, Marissa is leading the youth apprenticeship program at Indiana-based Patrick Industries, Inc. (Patrick). Founded in 1959, Patrick is a recognized force in the RV, marine, powersports and housing industries, with more than 85 brands and over 10,000 employees across 25 states.
Now entering its third year, the youth apprenticeship program builds on the early career college graduate leadership program already in place at Patrick. “The majority of our roles require a high level of skill, quality work ethic, and a continuous improvement mindset, not necessarily a college degree,” said Marissa. “I saw the youth apprenticeship movement as a solution to filling our talent pipeline for those roles.”
Elkhart County is 1 of 3 regions in Indiana that were early adopters of the apprenticeship movement and leads the way, making support in the early 2020s readily available as Marissa began putting together the company’s pilot program. Starting a program today, she said, employers have resources such as the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics (AML) Industry Talent Associations (ITAs) that Conexus Indiana leads, iLab Indiana and INCAP (Indiana Career Apprenticeship Program) help bring it all together and smooth the process for employers throughout the state, she explained.
Marissa plans to scale the program she introduced in Patrick’s Indiana facilities throughout the organization as brands hear about the success of the current pilot program. With growth in mind, she is actively involved with other Indiana employers in a statewide effort to transform how students and adults prepare for high-demand careers in AML. Apprenticeship programs are an essential part of that effort. Marissa makes a good case for why more AML companies should develop formal apprenticeship programs.
The first class of apprentices joined the Patrick program during the 2024-2025 school year — two in Human Resources and a third in Maintenance. The 2025-2026 class doubled the cohort, adding three more students — one in IT, and two in Manufacturing Technician roles. “The program is growing quickly. We are hoping to reach 15 apprentices as we begin the 2026-2027 school year. Our brands and leaders are doing an amazing job training the apprentices, giving the students a great experience in the program.”
Benefits stretch throughout the plant. “It’s not just good for apprentices, either,” Marissa shared. “It helps our current team members grow in their skills and capabilities, too. They need to explain, train, give feedback – be a coach. It’s a tangible way we can live out our BETTER Together culture.” Similarly, brand and operational leaders haven’t recognized any barriers to hiring youth as apprentice employees. Neither did the company’s insurance providers. “We want our apprentices to work safely, the same as all of our team members.” Marissa said the apprentices have the same safety training all new employees undertake.
Some companies considering apprenticeship programs have inquired about the ROI on an apprenticeship program, and Marissa is honest about the investment. “It may take them a bit longer to get up to speed, especially when compared to an adult, full-time employee. But once they do, they have proven themselves as valuable members of the team, contributing quality work alongside their teammates of all ages.” Most of all, she added, “there are great kids out there. They want to work hard and contribute to something greater than themselves.”.”
About the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP)
The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation provided grant funding beginning with the Modern Youth Apprenticeship pilot in 2020 and has continued investing in workforce innovation through iLab Indiana — a coalition of 300+ state business, education, nonprofit and government leaders committed to reimagining career learning and training.
Through that coalition, Indiana leaders have designed and are now building the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), an employer-led, Swiss-inspired apprenticeship system that blends classroom learning with paid, on-the-job training starting in high school and extending into adult career advancement. INCAP partners with employers through Industry Talent Associations (ITAs) to help define the skills and competencies students need, co-create curriculum and ensure training aligns with real workforce needs. The Fairbanks Foundation continues to support creation of ITAs, regional implementation infrastructure, student recruitment and employer engagement — all aimed at building scalable and sustainable pathways so Indiana can train, retain and grow talent at scale.
