For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: July 23, 2024
Summer Welding Academy debuts (with video)
Fennimore -Southwest Wisconsin Technical College has debuted a new learning opportunity this summer. The 2024 Welding Academy, in partnership with the Southwest Wisconsin Alliance for Growth (SWAG) in Manufacturing, is hosting the academy on campus through Thursday, Aug. 8.
The new academy is helping dislocated workers quickly prepare for a new high-skill welding career. “We’re doing a nine-week course of GMAW, MIG welding as most people know it as,” said Gary Bakken, Southwest Tech welding instructor. “They will be learning GMAW, MIG welding, short circuit, which is kind of your most common weld locally. It’s sort of different than some of the factory work. They will be learning forming, some fabrication. We also do a blueprint class…and safety and set up.”
Bakken noted the students have a wide variety of welding experience. Some of them have never touched a welder before, while some students have limited experience. “Before I was doing this I was in hardwood processing at a sawmill,” said Malachi Frazier, an academy student from Boscobel, Wisconsin. “I have always been kind of interested in welding, and I figured, I better take it as long as it’s free.”
Through grant and employer sponsorships, qualified attendees receive the instruction for free for their nine-week academic commitment. Funds from the Workforce Innovation Grant, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, made it possible for eligible students to attend the academy at no charge, in addition to a partnership with Southwest Wisconsin Alliance for Growth (SWAG) in Manufacturing. “This academy aligns with the vision of SWAG, which is to make manufacturing the career of choice in Southwest Wisconsin,” stated Jason Knapp, co-chair of the SWAG alliance and plant engineering manager at 3M. “It was the perfect opportunity to partner with higher education to promote a career pathway into a very well-paying occupation.”
Each student is on his or her own journey and the academy allows for various outcomes. “What drew me to this summer program was to better myself and learn new skills,” said Brandon Laufenberg, an academy student from Mt. Hope, Wisconsin. “And to create a better life for me and my daughter. Obviously, welding is a very important career, and it gives you lots of opportunities to make more money, and to, overall, make yourself better.”
The class is currently operating four days a week, from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. during the summer.
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named a top 10 finalist for the Aspen Prize. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |