Students from Beaver Dam High School visited Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation on Tuesday as tours of factories returned for the first time since prior to the pandemic.
“This is pretty interesting,” Beaver Dam High School sophomore Ben Brault said while touring the factory. “I have thought about applying here and it is nice to get a look at what I’d be doing.”
The tours of the factories began in 2012 with students from area high schools getting a first-hand look along with hearing about manufacturing jobs. The last tour was in February of 2020. Of course that March, schools were shut down and the tours were put on hold.
The goal is to get more high school students to think about entering manufacturing as a career.
“Take these opportunities to learn about careers in your backyard,” Dodge County Community Development Administrator Nate Olson said.
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Olson said that eight schools had students touring not only Apache but Breuer Metal, Lyco Manufacturing, Richelieu Foods, Shuman Printers, Karavan Trailers, Metalcraft, MEC – Mayville and EK Machine.
At Apache, about 50 Beaver Dam High School students toured the building and learned about everything from the different positions at the factory to getting tips from those currently working in the facilities.
Pam Korth, human resource manager for Apache, said the tours began a decade ago, because factories were just swapping employees and there was an effort to increase the workforce, so the Manufacturing Business Alliance of Dodge County was formed. Of course in recent years, the need for employees has continued.
“We are extremely busy,” Korth said. “We have a backlog that will take us to 2024. We are looking to have some good quality people start here.”
Manufacturing positions are more than a job, Korth said. It is a career that allows for growth along with excellent pay and benefits.
Beaver Dam High School instructor Joe Kutzler said that the students from Beaver Dam who attended the tours were from the school’s technology and engineering classes.
“This really connects what they do in the classroom to what we are doing along with learning what their parents and uncles do in the community,” Kutzler said.
More than 160 students from Beaver Dam, Central Wisconsin Christian, Rio School District, Markesan School District, Hustisford School District, Waupun School District, Dodgeland School District and Randolph School District will be touring the businesses this month.