Manufacturing Academy

Area high school students attend
Manufacturing Academy at Nicolet College

Twenty area high school students are exploring welding careers at Nicolet College and area job sites this spring thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

A half dozen students from Phelps and Three lakes high schools recently explored welding careers in the first of two Manufacturing Academies at Nicolet College . Students participating include, left to right, Elliot Boyer, Rhinelander, Three Lakes High School; Matt Meier and Dennis Artwohl, both of Phelps; Nicolet Welding Instructor Dennis Dettmering; Josh Forsyth, Three Lakes; and Josh Olson and Judd Skubal, both of Monico, attending Three Lakes High School.

The students attend four-day Manufacturing Academies that combine work in Nicolet's Welding Lab with visits to four area manufacturers.

“During the academies we show students that in order to have a career in welding, they need to know more than just how to weld,” said Andrea Aus, the grant coordinator at Nicolet. “In today's manufacturing environment workers also need other skills. They need to know how to solve problems, work as a team, follow directions, stay safe, and adapt to change.”

The academies give the students a broad and comprehensive look at careers in welding – which is currently in high demand – so they can decide if the career is right for them, Aus added.

Area manufacturers participating in the academies include Harley Davidson, Superior Diesel, HyPro, and Oldenberg Lakeshore.

High schools participating in the academies include Rhinelander, Lakeland , Phelps, and Three Lakes .

The academies are made possible by a Workforce Investment Act Performance Incentive Grant issued by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.