This 17-year-old Luxemburg-Casco girl found welding through her school. Now, she has a job in Green Bay
LUXEMBURG – Magdalene Fett is 17 years old. She likes going to the beach, the fair, and shopping, and hangs out with friends and her boyfriend.
All through middle school and high school, she took all the classes that could help her have a career as a federal law enforcement agent and thought she would pursue a major in psychology.
"I wanted to be an FBI agent," she said. Her favorite TV series is "Criminal Minds."
But Fett discovered a passion for welding after taking a "random" metals class in school.
"I don't really know how I got there," she said. "Sometimes the school fills the schedule with different classes."
What started as an unusual class turned into an opportunity that landed her an apprenticeship at Renco Machine Inc., a manufacturing company in Green Bay.
In school, Fett learned about safety protocols and practices, welding skills and popular processes, as well as how these apply to different metals. She also was familiarized with the tools and introduced to computerized welding equipment. At Renco, she works under a mentor, handling bigger and updated machines and more challenging projects.
"I like that it takes a lot of focus and precision, you have to measure things in your mind, make sure that your welding is staying consistent," she said.
NEWYA is latest program that connects students with degrees, careers
At Luxemburg-Casco High School, where Fett goes, students participate in a variety of classes and are encouraged to try different career paths. The school has three programs to help them figure out what they want to do after graduating.
Fett is part of the newest program, the Northeastern Wisconsin Apprenticeship Program, or NEWYA, which started on July 1. It was created through a partnership among the school and the Greater Green Bay Chamber and Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7, and with a grant from the state Department of Workforce Development.
"We had been successful with two other programs, and the interest from our different partners has grown," said Mike Snowberry, director of learning services at Luxemburg-Casco.
The two previous programs — The Ahnapee Automotive and Ahnapee Diesel programs — were done in partnership with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. These programs, which Snowberry started, help students earn college credits and graduate from high school with a one-year technical diploma, which could later be turned into an associate's degree or a two-year technical diploma at NWTC.
"We started with seven schools, fours years ago, but now with this new program we are working with about 21," Snowberry said.
Most of the schools that participate in all three programs are in Brown, Kewaunee and Door counties, with a few others from Washington and Ozaukee counties.
Snowberry believes these ventures create a long-term solution to labor shortages in every industry.
"It's a win-win-win for everybody," Snowberry said. "Companies get workers they need, students get a real-life work experience, and we fulfill our duty of helping students find what they really want to do."
This is the case with many like Fett, who have found a career in welding and expanded her skills at Renco Machine.
Two employees from the company, Tyler Paal and Brian Mantey, held a presentation at Luxemburg-Casco and explained what the company did and how students could become part of it.
Paal, senior project manager at Renco, was part of a similar youth apprentice program 20 years ago. He said his company is always looking to fill out positions, but for many years they weren't part of any of these projects in the area. That has changed now.
"We were noticing a decline in kids that go to NWTC for the machine tool program," he said. "So we decided to go to the school and talk to the kids, and basically take a step forward."
In 2020, when 144 students graduated at NWTC in manufacturing programs, 92% of them were employed. Wisconsin has more than 9,300 companies looking for employees. The state has the second highest concentration of manufacturing employment in the country, with more than 470,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
After Renco's presentation, and a short conversation with Paal and Mantey, Fett decided to interview formally for a job at Renco Machine.
The school has a career mentor who helps youths create a curriculum, get all the paperwork ready and prepare for a real job interview.
She was hired for a part-time job during the school year and full time in the summer from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"This (work) was something she wanted to further look into," Paal said.
Mantey said Fett is very ''hands-on" at the trade, and that she obviously had a passion for welding before her job started at the company.
Aggressive goal to connect 1,500 students with career opportunities
Manufacturing is just one segment of the larger strategy to connect students with companies.
Jennifer Johnson, regional coordinator for the NEWYA program, who works closely with Snowberry, said they have placed 500 students in various industries. The program already works with 967 companies. Options include: finance; information technology; science, technology, engineering and mathematics; manufacturing; architecture and construction; agriculture and natural resources; health sciences; marketing; transportation; distribution and logistics; hospitality and tourism; arts; and communications and audio/video technology.
“With a goal of 1,500 (students in the region), we are working diligently with over 800 other students who have expressed interest,” Johnson said.
Pay ranges between $9 and $33 an hour, depending on career cluster and roles.
Companies see youth training as an investment in their future
Kono Kogs Inc., a company that sells thermal oxidizers — a unit for air pollution control in many chemical plants that decomposes hazardous gases at a high temperature — has been part of the Luxemburg-Casco programs since they started.
"My son was the first one here, he was going to college in Minnesota, but COVID-19 struck and he came to work here," said Chris Worachek, president of Kono Kogs. "It was a good thing (the program), because it gave him another option."
Worachek said they've hired four students through previous programs. Now there are four more, with three in engineering and one who started in the assembly department.
He thinks all of them are excited to go to work and keep learning. More than an asset, they are an investment for the company. It's something that speaks well of the company too, he explained, because clients see the commitment both the company and the employees are making.
"In a lot of cases they want to go to the electrical mechanical program at TC (technical college)," said Worachek. "If they want to stay, we do a contract and we pay for the TC schooling."
Most of them follow the same path as Fett, who, after graduating high school, wants to go to college and get a degree as a mechanical engineer.
With that goal met, she will decide what to pursue, either her career as a professional engineer or as a welder.
Ariel Perez is a business reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach him at APerez1@gannett.com or view his Twitter profile at @Ariel_Perez85
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay Chamber, Luxemburg-Casco school partner on career training
