Luc Meuzelaar and Zach Thomas: the Apprentices who Stayed

By Rachel Darken, Assistant Fleet Superintendent

When Fleet launched a new high school apprenticeship initiative in partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in January 2018, we planned for a win-win.  A win most of all for participating students who advanced through the competitive screening process.  These students would receive paychecks above prevailing wage from the City while simultaneously earning high school vocational ed credits from MMSD for completing part-time work.  All the while learning valuable lessons in how to maintain operational vehicles in Fleet shops such as Police Department squad cars, Streets collection trucks, Parks grass mowers, and Fire Department ambulances alongside full-time Fleet Technicians who volunteer to serve as their mentors.

Fleet offers local high school automotive students a rich classroom full of vehicles and equipment and hands-on training from experienced veterans that are, in combination, unparalleled in South Central Wisconsin. In 2019 Madison Technical College students were added to the elite program.  We also hoped the apprenticeships would pay dividends for the City’s future workforce development over time. Full-time staff at Fleet have sincerely enjoyed working with the youth and watched their knowledge and skills grow before their eyes from those instructive efforts.  Since 2018 a running stream of students of many backgrounds, around 17 total from local high schools as well as Madison Technical College have successfully worked with our mentors year-round, in every season.

Most apprentices moved on to other jobs or further study in the mechanical world or other fields upon completing the program, which is typical of internship programs.  An automotive career is not for everyone who tries their hand at it, which is okay. However, we knew that the opportunity to build a pipeline and “grow our own” future workforce in a tight, highly competitive auto industry job market would come full circle over time when job vacancies arose at Fleet.  That promise finally came to fruition in 2024, the year Luc Meuzelaar and Zach Thomas became our first-ever apprentices to be hired as full-time Fleet Technicians.

Luc was born and raised in Madison and joined Fleet during the first semester of his Senior year at Memorial High School.  Guidance counselors and teachers there including our stalwart partner Miles Tokheim advised him to apply.  He was posted for duty at the Fleet headquarters on Nakoosa Trail in fall 2021 and stayed with us through high school graduation.  By consensus his performance was exemplary and full-time staff enjoyed being paired with Luc.  We encouraged him to enroll at Madison College’s automotive program while continuing to work part-time at Fleet with increased responsibility and pay.  This arrangement continued without interruption through the semesters at Madison College, and as Luc was preparing to graduate with an Associate’s degree in May 2024, the job offer from Fleet was waiting for him. Luc lives with his parents at the moment but is about to move into his own first rental apartment in December.

“I am pretty excited!” Luc said about taking the leap into adulthood.  He has enjoyed maintaining Police squad cars, learning about auto parts, and becoming versed in the software programs we require to function.  Now Luc is assigned to Fleet’s West Badger Road garage focused on heavy diesel equipment operated by Streets and other public works divisions such as plow trucks. “It’s all nuts and bolts, but it’s still a learning experience,” he describes the transition to a permanent job on the West side.  His hobbies include autocross racing, downhill skiing in the winter, and video games.

While studying at Madison College, Luc also helped recruit a classmate into the Fleet apprentice program named Zach Thomas.  Zach claims that at a Madison College job fair “Luc made me fill out a form, I didn’t even know what it was for, or that this place was here.  But everything changed when I got the tour.” We’re glad that destiny brought Zach over for a closer look, because Madison College is just five minutes away from Nakoosa Trail, an ideal commute before or after class.  Zach had worked for almost 5 years at Monona Tire before joining Fleet and largely grew up in Stoughton.

Like Luc, Zach graduated from the Madison College automotive program in good standing in May 2024 and he too is “adulting” these days with the new Fleet Tech job in hand, having just moved into his first rental apartment with his girlfriend Abby in Beaver Dam.  Zach works second shift on the heavy-duty side of Fleet headquarters, inspecting and maintaining fire trucks, garbage trucks, wood chippers, and anything else that might come in for service.

“Everyone here is really amazing, everyone that works here is friendly, always willing to help, and it’s a great place to be!” he shared (we probably couldn’t find a better quote for our next recruitment drive).  Meanwhile Zach enjoys hunting, fishing, tinkering on cars (of course) and boats in his spare time.  For fun he’ll take his restored Lund out on the water in nice weather.

By age 20 Luc and Zach were already well-known and trusted by Fleet supervisors and colleagues on the shop floor before their job offers.  After months of hard work and learning the ropes under the hoods and in classrooms, they had been fully vetted.  These Class of 2024 grads proved that they belonged in our real-world environment for the long haul to help keep frontline customer divisions rolling. Thanks to being part-time apprentices first Zach and Luc got to know the entire Fleet team and other #TeamCity personnel.  They also knew exactly what they were getting themselves into to kickstart their skilled trades careers.

That’s what we call a win-win.  We hope that Luc and Zach stick around, and never stop learning and growing their abilities.  We also look forward to welcoming new batches of students to join in our important mission.