Business View Magazine - January 2024

business. That’s why C&M helped build a youth apprenticeship program for high school students in school districts from around the Chippewa Valley area. That lack of labor is the number one reason according to Filipczak that home prices nationally are so high– it’s expensive to pay the people needed to get the job done. “When you create something with your hands it is extremely rewarding work,” Filipczak says, adding, “You can have a very long and successful career.” C&M worked with five apprentices in 2023 but it keeps getting harder to not only find students with an interest in the trade, but the dedication and commitment to succeed at a high level, according to Filipczak. Regardless, the company remains committed to working with local school districts to promote apprenticeships and give young people the opportunity to discover if homebuilding could be a career of interest. “We’ll keep (the program) running because we need 46 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01