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Workforce development events introduce career pathways
Mini Manufacturing World
Manufacturing is evolving, and through eye-opening opportunities and hands-on learning, we’re helping young people see it firsthand.
Mini Manufacturing World brings learning to life as high school students race against the clock, competing to run a successful business. Excitement builds as they “manufacture” customizable Lego sets and manage simulated workplace situations.
The initiative’s mission, says Shawna Marquardt, who oversees Madison College’s regional campus operations and works closely with our workforce partners, is to overcome stereotypes about working in manufacturing and build awareness of good-paying career paths right here in our communities.
We launched the inaugural Mini Manufacturing World at our Portage campus in 2023, thanks to a dynamic partnership with the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin and locally based manufacturing companies. The event was so successful, it expanded to the Baraboo, Portage, Poynette, Reedsburg, Sauk Prairie and Wisconsin Dells school districts, reaching 650 students.
Todd Spencer from Kruger Family Industries, a Portage-based manufacturer, captures Mini-Manufacturing World’s goal:
"We show students that manufacturing consists of many different career opportunities and is not siloed into just one discipline: you can work in accounting and then one day decide to move to supply chain. Through the event, young people learn that manufacturing is an actual career choice and opportunity, not somewhere you just end up."
– Todd Spencer, Kruger Family Industries
Metal Mania
Metal Mania is a premier event at our Fort Atkinson campus. Skilled participants show off their metal fabrication and welding abilities, creating shapes based on the year’s theme.
The competition features impressive sculptures crafted by talented students from the Fort Atkinson, Johnson Creek, and Marshall School Districts, as well as our students.
Metal Mania spotlights Fort Atkinson’s Metal Fabrication with the Welding Bolt-On program, which enables students to earn two degrees in just one year at the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities.
It’s a day of high-energy activities such as laser cutting and welding, designed to excite attendees about the trade industry and provide opportunities to connect with instructors and network with employers.
Metal Mania thrives through the support of our local business partners, like Emily Carmichael, a human resource professional at IPEC (Integrated Process Engineers & Construction). Emily promotes the event as an excellent opportunity for potential students and experienced welders interested in pursuing a career in the trade: “IPEC supports Metal Mania to create a bridge for individuals looking to explore this profession.”
We are proud to partner with school districts and employers to promote educational and career pathways and enhance awareness of regional opportunities.
