Mickey Critton Turned a Deal With His Mom Into a Full-Time Utility Apprenticeship

SECOND SHIFT · FROM THE FIELD

Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Utilities · Youth apprenticeship

From the reporting archive · Original report: August 17, 2026 · Corrinne Hess, WPR

Mickey Critton’s path to a utility career started with a bargain. After struggling at two Milwaukee public high schools, he was moved to Arrowhead High School in Hartland, which he disliked. His mother agreed he could return to a Milwaukee school if he joined Milwaukee Public Schools’ internship program with We Energies, WPR reports.

He started on the gas technician track. The job required him to quit smoking and report to work by 7 a.m., and the district provided free rides to job sites. Critton told WPR the rules irritated him at first before his attitude changed. The work has since taken him to West Bend, Waukesha and Green Bay for training.

Critton graduated from Milwaukee School of Languages in 2024 and now works full-time as a gas distribution apprentice with We Energies. He told WPR that, with no college experience, the job felt like more than he could have asked for.

The program places high school juniors and seniors in line mechanic, gas technician and distribution design tracks. WPR reports that hundreds of students apply each year for about 30 spots, and that We Energies has hired about 15 line mechanics, six gas technicians and six designers full-time each year since the program began.

Employer-school partnerships work best when they remove practical barriers, such as getting to a job site by 7 a.m. For utilities facing retirements, a program that turns a reluctant student into a full-time apprentice is pipeline building, not charity.

Read the original reporting at WPR →

Second Shift tells the stories of people building what’s next through new skills, new careers and second chances. From the Field items are curated from credited reporting, with Location Decision’s perspective. Location Decision Originals are independently reported by our team.

Curated by Location Decision. Originally reported by Corrinne Hess, WPR, August 17, 2026.

This item was sourced and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed under Location Decision’s editorial standards. Second Shift tracks workforce outcomes to inform our broader editorial analysis. All reporting belongs to the credited journalists; read the original story for the full account.