What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua just did something that should’ve happened years ago. They invited the community to breakfast.
Not for fundraising or a sports banquet, but to talk about the future — specifically, what happens to students after they walk across that graduation stage.
Around 150 business owners and nonprofit leaders showed up, filling tables with conversations about apprenticeships, workplace tours, and how local employers can help shape the next generation of Northwoods workers.
Here’s the reality: only half of Lakeland Union students head to college after graduation.
That’s not a problem. It’s just a fact that deserves attention.
“Many students are going to end up working in our community,” said Principal Levi Massey. “We need to branch out to our community and see what the needs are from the businesses, from the people on the front lines.”
The other 50% aren’t disappearing into thin air. They’re staying here, working at resorts, running equipment, joining health care teams, and keeping the tourism economy humming. The question isn’t whether they’re capable — it’s whether we’re preparing them for jobs that actually exist in Vilas and Oneida Counties.
Katie Rein, Director of Teaching & Learning at Lakeland Union, called the turnout overwhelming in the best way possible.
“We were blown away by the response we got,” she said. “It’s a very strong start to a promising future with collaboration in our community.”
The breakfast wasn’t just coffee and pleasantries. School staff outlined specific ways businesses could get involved:
These aren’t revolutionary ideas, but they’re harder to execute in rural areas where businesses often run lean and schools stretch resources thin.
That’s exactly why face-to-face conversations matter. A resort owner learns the school has students interested in hospitality management. A nonprofit discovers there’s a pathway to connect teens with conservation work. It’s networking, Northwoods style.
Lakeland Union serves roughly 718 to 900 students from a dozen towns scattered across two counties. That’s a big footprint for one high school.
The Northwoods economy runs on tourism, recreation, and health care — sectors that generate over a billion dollars annually but face constant workforce challenges. Seasonal employment swings. Aging populations. Young people leaving for cities.
Brain drain is real, and it starts when high school graduates don’t see a future here.
“When students can’t picture themselves working in the community they grew up in, they don’t stick around to try.”
Wisconsin already has over 20,000 youth apprenticeships statewide, with northern counties participating through partnerships like those with Nicolet College. Lakeland Union is positioning itself to tap into that momentum.
The school made it clear this breakfast isn’t a one-time event. It’s the foundation for ongoing collaboration.
Think about what that could look like in five years. A junior spending Tuesday afternoons shadowing a physical therapist at Howard Young Medical Center. A senior completing a welding apprenticeship that leads to a job offer before graduation. A sophomore hearing from a small business owner who started with nothing but a pickup truck and a dream.
These connections don’t just help individual students. They strengthen the entire community fabric.
Local businesses get access to motivated young workers who already understand the area. Students graduate with skills, confidence, and a reason to stay. Families see opportunities they didn’t know existed.
Lakeland Union isn’t solving every workforce challenge with a pancake breakfast. But they’re starting something important.
Other schools in the region should be watching. If Minocqua can pull together 150 community partners, what’s stopping Rhinelander, Eagle River, or Woodruff from doing the same?
The students walking those hallways right now will be running this place in twenty years. They’ll manage our lodges, care for our aging neighbors, guide our tourists, and maybe even teach the next generation.
Let’s make sure they’re ready. And let’s make sure they know there’s a place for them here.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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