Welding program grads ‘fuse’ their own futures

By  Patrick Lynn

Six area high school students have graduated from a new summer program funded by the state.

Thanks to a Wisconsin Workforce Innovation Grant award Mid-State Technical College was able to provide high schoolers with hands-on opportunities in the high-demand field of welding. Mid-State recognized the program graduates with a special celebration at its Wisconsin Rapids Campus.

To complete the program, students were required to complete four credits in the areas of print reading and gas metal arc welding during the month of June.

“After high school, I plan to pursue a career in welding,” said Trina Raflik, an incoming junior at Stevens Point Area High School. “These course opportunities have allowed me to gain experience in welding and get a jump start on my degree while in high school, saving me time and money.”

Raflik also competes in SkillsUSA competitions for welding, Mid-State said in a news release this week.

Fuse your Future offers a “short-term, quality” experience in the welding profession for high school students, according to Mark Snyder, employee development manager at A&B Process Systems, a business unit of JBT. Snyder serves on Mid-State’s Welding advisory committee and is the College’s CWIMA (Central Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance) liaison.

“This first-time summer event was extremely successful and, over time, will build and sustain the pipeline of skilled professionals to keep our industry and manufacturing, in general, thriving in central Wisconsin,” Snyder said. “This is a great opportunity for students to become familiar with a career in welding and earn credits towards a welding credential while still in high school.”

Adriana Freer, an incoming junior at Nekoosa High School, said her school doesn’t offer welding classes, so the Mid-State program is ideal for her, as she plans to enter the welding field after graduation.

“I am now planning on taking courses at night during the school year so I can work towards a welding degree while in high school,” she said.

According to Bobbi Damrow, vice president of Mid-State’s Workforce Development & Community Relations, the program was included in the college’s Wisconsin Innovation Grant award.

The grant is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and focused on initiatives to help solve workforce challenges, which includes training and/or reskilling for in-demand jobs.

Damrow said the school was “grateful” for the opportunities made possible by the grant.

“What was quite unique about this opportunity was that five of the six students were female and exploring a non-traditional occupation (NTO), in which 75 percent or more of the workforce is of the opposite gender,” she said. “Introducing non-traditional occupations to our students is key to a sustainable workforce in central Wisconsin.”

Mid-State Dean of Applied Technology Ryan Kawski said that the Fuse Your Future program, instructed by experienced Mid-State faculty Aaron Wulk and Russ Moore, was modeled after the successful Metal Mania program, a staple at Mid-State for four years through a partnership with CWIMA.

Metal Mania is focused on gaining experience and credit in the machine tool profession and is currently underway at the college. Each of the programs is a pathway to a technical degree at Mid-State and a gateway to a high-demand career.

For more information on pathway opportunities please contact Jackie Esselman, dean of recruitment and admissions at Mid-State Technical College, at 715-422-5413 or [email protected].