The Manufacturing Career Cluster is the engine that drives American prosperity. Virtually any product that makes your life easier, better, safer and longer came from an advanced manufacturing process. Manufacturing is one of the largest employment sectors in Wisconsin and requires a high number of technically skilled employees to further drive innovation within our state. Wisconsin is one of the top manufacturing states in the nation and employs 16% of the labor force.
Manufacturing establishments engage in the mechanical, physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products. Furthermore, all manufacturing workers need to possess flexibility of skills in order to respond to rapidly changing industry demands. Therefore, the Manufacturing YA program was structured to require industry-wide foundational skills and industry-specific technical skills.
This career cluster prepares students for careers in in manufacturing that involve planning, managing and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products. Students will also be exposed to related professional and technical support activities such as production planning and control, maintenance and manufacturing/process engineering. Each pathway gives students a different skill set. The Production Pathway allows students to work with a variety of equipment and processes to transform materials into parts or products. The Production Operations Management pathway gives students a chance to plan and manage processes that monitor and ensure the materials and products are produced according to specification in an efficient manner. The Maintenance, Installation and Repair pathway allows students to monitor, troubleshoot and repair the equipment necessary for production operations. Students in this youth apprenticeship learn and practice skills that prepare them for diverse post-secondary opportunities. These opportunities could include two or four-year college programs, apprenticeships or employment. Students in this apprenticeship have the option to participate in the following pathways:
- Production Pathway
- Assembly and Packaging
- Manufacturing Processes
- Machining
- Welding
- Production Operations Management Pathway
- Maintenance, Installation and Repair Pathway
- Basic Industrial Equipment
- Advanced Industrial Equipment
- Entering junior year or senior status
- Display a genuine interest in the Manufacturing Pathway
- Interview effectively and are hired in an architecture position
- Maintain a high level of attendance in school and on the job
- Secure transportation to the job
- On-track for high school graduation
Students take courses at their high school that are part of the program of study for architecture that provide the related classroom instruction needed to compliment the worksite training. Such courses can include:
- Fabrication Materials & Processes
- Advanced Manufacturing Metals or Woods
- Design for Manufacturing
- Intro to Machine Tool Welding
- Intro to Fabrication
- Manufacturing I & II
Talk to your School to Career Coordinator or Technical Education Instructor for further information.
Students in this program are placed at area manufacturing facilities. In this program the students attain competencies in:
- Core Skills
- Safety
- Manufacturing Fundamentals
For a one year program the student will:
- Have 2 semesters of related instruction from their district high school or Madison College
- Minimum of 450 work hours
- Minimum of one pathway from the following list:
- Assembly & Packaging
- Manufacturing Processes
- Casting
- Conditioning
- Filling
- Finishing
- Forming
- Joining/Combining
- Molding
- Separating
- Machining
- Grinder
- Lathe
- Machine Center
- Welding
- Flux –cored arc (FCAW)
- Gas metal arc (GMAW(MIG))
- Gas tungsten arc (GTAW(TIG))
- Submerged arc (SAW)
- Shielded metal arc (SMAW (Stick))
- Thermal/Chemical Cutting Processes
- Air Carbon Arc
- Laser
- Oxy-fuel Manual
- Oxy-fuel Machine
- Plasma Manual
- Plasma Machine
For the two year program the student will:
- Have a 4 semesters of related instruction form their district high school and/or Madison College
- Minimum of 900 work hours
- Minimum of two pathways from the above list and/or
Production Control and Quality Management
Credit between school districts varies, but typically the student will receive 1/2 – 1 credit per semester for the work experience and the same for their classroom training. All students should receive a wage according to the type of work they are performing. Hours attained in this youth apprenticeship may count toward adult apprenticeship programs.