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20 ELECTRONIC EDITION: WWW.MANUFACTURINGTODAYWI.COM

Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry

• A High-powered CNC router
• A CNC plasma cutter
• 2 Multi-Color 3D Printers
• A state-of-the-art vinyl cutter

Student-Led Manufacturing
With this new equipment our student led
manufacturing class, Black Granite Manu-
facturing, is now more capable than ever to
fulfill the needs of our community and the
surrounding areas with quality student-made
items.
In this course, enrolled students do
not just complete assignments—they run a
legitimate business. Students design, manu- rently, roughly 65% of our eligible juniors
facture, market, and sell goods and services and seniors are actively involved in the
to real customers with real expectations. Youth Apprenticeship program.
Because we are a small school located in Seeing young people gain real, hands-
Mellen School District apprenticeships or to get a headstart on their Northwestern Wisconsin and do not have on experience in high-demand career fields
The Mellen School District is proud to post-secondary education. much industry in the area, we focus primar- has brought immense pride to the Mellen
showcase its Career and Technical Education The ultimate goal of our program is to ily on producing popular products such as School District. By bridging the gap between
(CTE) program which is designed to give stu- prepare students with both the technical and cutting boards, Adirondack chairs, custom education and industry, Mellen is ensuring its
dents experience in trade and manufacturing employability skills needed to build a suc- plaques, metal signs, and vinyl lettering. students graduate not just as capable learn-
education. cessful career. Students have created a web page for cus- ers, but as highly employable leaders ready
A major highlight of the program is its tomers to submit orders for existing products to tackle the modern workforce.
pathway to higher education and career read- Modernizing the Department or to order something custom made.
iness through programs such as Drafting and Thanks to several grants, community Youth Apprenticeships: The technical
Woods which offer articulated credit through support, and some creative financing we skills students have learned in class come
our local technical college and the ability to have built a modern CTE department which together for our juniors and seniors, who are
take courses online through our Start College includes the following: encouraged to apply their knowledge out in www.mellendiggers.org
Now program to prepare our students for • Two laser engravers the workforce as Youth Apprentices. Cur-

DWD Awards Equipment Grants to Three School Districts

In January, the Wisconsin Department cal education facility or acquire equipment experience in coding, design, fabrication, and
of Workforce Development (DWD) awarded used for in-demand fields. The program has manufacturing.
$23,249 in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants to provided Technical Education Equipment
three school districts in the state. grants of more than $8.2 million to over 253
The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Wisconsin school district projects to help stu- www.parkview.k12.wi.us
Education Equipment grants will benefit more dents explore careers and transition from high
than 500 students and help address the state’s school into the workforce.
skilled workforce shortage by supporting The current round of grants will support Hurley School District,
schools as they prepare students for quality, the following projects: Iron County — 5,892 All workers in Northwoods Manufactur-
in-demand jobs. School districts will use the Grant funds will be used ing are high schoolers, but our program goes
funding to expand career pathway options by Turtle Lake School to purchase a Cantek three- beyond high school. All 8th graders in the
upgrading technical education training equip- District, Barron County phase jointer and add a second laser engraver Hurley K–12 School go through a semester
ment and facilities. — $7,167 to help prepare students for successful careers of woodshop as part of their school year. This
“Fast Forward grants help prepare our The funds will be used in the manufacturing industry. class gives them the opportunity to learn work
future workforce for careers in high-demand, to update equipment and ethic and teamwork along with woodworking
high-skill industries,” said the DWD Sec- enhance safety with Miller Multimatic 220 and other life skills. It also ensures that if they
retary. “The state-of-the-art equipment, AC/DC Welders and a Hypertherm Power- www.hurley.k12.wi.us chose to pursue going into woodshop in High
including laser cutters, welders, and advanced max Plasma Cutter, enhancing the quality of School that they are at the level they need to
wood fabrication tools, will enable schools to the instruction. be to keep up with the upperclassmen.
provide coursework that aligns with industry Spotlight The first projects for almost every single
standards and strengthens our state’s advanced Northwoods Manufacturing 8th grader are making a cutting board and
manufacturing workforce.” turning a pen. Making these projects allows
These grants may also reduce higher www.turtlelake.k12.wi.us Northwoods Manufacturing is a student- them to learn to use every machine in the
education costs for families through dual run business located in the Hurley K–12 shop (excluding our CNC, which can be
enrollment credits, industry-endorsed cer- School in Hurley, Wisconsin. All of our used to engrave cutting boards after produc-
tificates, and technical endorsements on high Parkview School District, projects are handmade by students with assis- tion). After they are done with this, all of the
school diplomas. Rock County — $10,190 tance from our Wood Shop Instructor, Roger students are free to make what they want to
The Wisconsin Fast Forward program The funds will be used Peterson, and our Metals Instructor, Jake and pursue what interests them. This leads to
was expanded in 2018 to invest in the work- to purchase a CNC plasma Hostettler. All of our revenue goes to our shop endless possibilities of what we can create.
force of the future by reimbursing school cutter and a CNC laser. The and ensuring that we have up to date materi- For more information go to https://www.
districts to enhance or improve a techni- machines will provide students with hands-on als, machinery, and tools. northwoodsmfg.net