WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — Over 3500 8th graders from across northcentral Wisconsin got a chance to tour metal manufacturing companies and learn more about jobs in manufacturing in the annual Heavy Metal Tour.
The program is a partnership with metalworking and manufacturing businesses and the Technical College System. Northcentral Technical College dean of business and industry solutions Mark Borowicz says students got a chance to tour two different local manufacturing businesses and learn more about what sort of classes and careers they can get through the technical colleges. “A number of different opportunities for students both in middle school and high school to come on campus, to learn about our programs, to visit with our faculty, to see our shops and our labs and really understand the type of careers that are out there.” Students got to tour two different businesses and got to learn more about technical trades at Nicolet College and Northcentral and Mid-State Technical Colleges.
Borowicz says that’s very important as the current workforce in manufacturing starts to age and baby boomers start getting ready for retirement. “We have to start someplace, and in the middle school we have an opportunity with our business partners to showcase those type of careers, and not only that but to highlight and emphasis the skills that are necessary for students to get in middle school and high school.” Current estimates show that central Wisconsin manufacturers could be losing over 1500 workers to the retirement of Baby Boomers over the next several years.
This is the 4th annual event and businesses from 10 different counties get involved each year.
