Reader Precision Solutions, a southeast Wisconsin-based precision machine contract manufacturer, welcomed 15 students to its 2026 Intern and Youth Apprenticeship Program, marking the company's largest combined student cohort since 2014 and another milestone for a workforce development initiative spanning more than a decade.
The 2026 class includes five interns and 10 Youth Apprentices. Since the program's formal inception, Reader Precision has welcomed 91 unique students, including 43 interns and 48 Youth Apprentices. Because many participants return for multiple summers or progress through more than one program, those students represent more than 100 individual program experiences with the company.
"This year's class reflects more than a decade of investment in students and in the educational partnerships that make these opportunities possible," said Barry Butters, Director of Education & Outreach at Reader Precision. "Our goal has never been to bring students in simply to observe. We give them meaningful exposure across the organization, real responsibility, and the opportunity to work alongside experienced manufacturing professionals."
Reader Precision's rotational program exposes students to departments across the organization, helping them understand how manufacturing, engineering, and supporting business functions work together. The structure also gives students an opportunity to explore career paths firsthand and identify where their skills and interests may fit within advanced manufacturing.
For many participants, that experience has extended beyond a summer program. To date, 26 former interns and Youth Apprentices have accepted full-time positions with Reader Precision, creating a direct talent pipeline from the classroom to careers within the company.
Among them is Matt Dowell-Reader Precision's Manufacturing Engineering Manager-who first joined the company as a high school intern at 17. Dowell returned the following summer as a machine operator and continued working at Reader Precision while earning his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
"What stood out to me was the trust leadership placed in me at such a young age," said Dowell. "By 19, I was trusted to run some of the hardest jobs in the shop. That level of responsibility, along with the people who took the time to mentor me, made it a no-brainer that this was where I wanted to start my career."
Reader Precision's student programs are supported by relationships with K-12 schools, technical colleges, and universities throughout southeast Wisconsin. Those relationships connect students with hands-on career experiences while helping manufacturers, educators, and workforce partners build stronger pathways into skilled careers.
Among those partnerships is Reader Precision's longstanding relationship with Gateway Technical College. Gateway President and CEO Dr. Veronique Tran recently visited Reader Precision's Elkhorn headquarters for her first official engagement with the company since taking office, meeting with leadership to discuss opportunities to expand access to student and workforce pipelines across the region.
The impact of Reader Precision's student program extends beyond where participants ultimately choose to build their careers. By exposing the next generation to meaningful experiences in modern manufacturing, the program helps students better understand the industry and the opportunities within it. The record 2026 class reflects the continued growth of that effort and the partnerships that help make it possible.
For more information contact:
Reader Precision Solutions, Inc.
555 Koopman Lane
Elkhorn, WI 53121
262-743-1700
www.readerprecision.com