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36 ELECTRONIC EDITION: WWW.MANUFACTURINGTODAYWI.COM

Milton Redhawk Manufacturing

Miller Multimatic 220 welders to the shop. community have afforded him the opportu-
This has increased the abilities within each of nity to grow these partnerships. We have also
our welding booths taking us from 7 SMAW increased our number of Youth Apprenticeship
machines to 13 as well as adding GTAW and opportunities over the last two years and are
GMAW with the newer machines. actively working with our partners to grow
Another Milton instructor, Mason that part of our program even more.
Pautsch, authored a DWD Workforce Devel- Our students are the biggest beneficiaries
opment Grant, which was used to replace our of all of this hard work and dedication of our
old 4' x 4' PlasmaCam table with a newer instructors. Students are able to take up to 6
larger 4' x 8' Boss CNC plasma table. different manufacturing and welding courses
To help increase awareness and grow our here at Milton High School. Most students will
program we also offered a Summer Welding complete the capstone courses earning them
Workshop for Girls. We had 26 participants the AWS SENSE level 1 certification, which
who were able to learn about the field of is a great achievement for our students. Being
welding and produce several take home proj- a one-to-one district, our students are able
ects along with practicing GMAW welding to utilize computer programs like Autodesk
skills. The young women were treated to a Fusion 360 to create designs that they can cut
“Lunch and Learn” session each day where on the new plasma table. This adds valuable
Technology Education Department The welding and manufacturing course they were able to learn about careers avail- knowledge of current technology to the hands-
Milton High School enrollment alone went from 158 to 220, which able from our industry partners. To wrap up on approach in the shop environment.
Over the last two years, Milton High is an increase of 62 students in the courses the week-long workshop we held a round- Our students’ futures are in mind as we
School’s manufacturing and welding program since last school year. We have used this table event where women from industry were add more CNC equipment and continue to
has been experiencing a bit of a rebirth. Since momentum to apply for grants and in-kind able to talk about their experiences within the grow and improve our program here at Milton
coming under the leadership of instructor, donations from our industry partners over the trades and what it has meant to them. High School.
Terry Schindler, the programming for all last two years. When Mr. Schindler started, we only had
areas of Technology Education at Milton High The School District of Milton has been 2 or 3 industry partners. He has grown that
School has undergone a complete rewrite and awarded the AWS Welding Workforce Grant to 12 active partners, who can be called on at
rebranding process, which has resulted in for just over $24,000. Those funds were any given time to collaborate on projects and www.milton.k12.wi.us
major growth in all areas. used to update some electrical and to add 6 shop initiatives. His extensive ties to the local

Spartan Manufacturing: Superior’s Only Student-Led Business,

Built For A Thriving Tomorrow

Gralewski took feedback from the students and I contacted many local businesses. We figured
started to look for options. we would connect with Cardinal Manufacturing
“We decided that starting a Student- and Tiger Manufacturing, the School District of
Based Enterprise (SBE) was the route that we Maple’s program, and Webster School District
wanted to take our program,” said Gralewski. to best create a roadmap for starting an SBE.”
“An SBE would allow students to run the busi- In November, the class was approved.
ness, connect with clients, marketing, create the
product, and even handle billing. Adam and I Don’t Reinvent The Wheel. Make Sure
could advise. Students with a capstone expe- The Wheel Fits Your Vehicle.
rience could find their way into a successful To do additional research on presenting
career.” new skills and processes to students, the teach-
It was nearing the end of the 2021-2022 ers toured local business facilities. In turn, they
school year, and Gralewski and Kuhlman knew invited local industry to tour our shops and
creating an SBE would be a massive undertak- make suggestions for improvement. Gralewski
ing. Additional materials, along with a course and Kuhlman believe that it’s best to tailor your
book, would be needed. The two Tech Ed SBE to fit the unique needs of your community.
teachers approached Dr. Amy Starzecki, the Start small.
School District of Superior District Admin- In the fall of 2022, Spartan Manufactur-
David Coy, Spike Gralewski, growing classes in Superior? How can a school istrator, about visiting the School District of ing started with seven students with a 7th-hour
and Adam Kuhlman create something similar from the ground up? Eleva-Strum’s Cardinal Manufacturing. The study hall, a soft launch for the program. The
School District of Superior workshop allowed school districts to see how students developed relationships with local
Since its inception, Superior High School’s To Get Started You Have To Get Started a student-led business could operate and gave manufacturers and landed their first sale for
Spartan Manufacturing has been a major partner In the Spring of 2022, the Superior High tips on structuring a class. Shortly after, Dr. 1,000 Yeti-style tumblers for two local busi-
in local industry in the Duluth-Superior area. School (SHS) Technical Education Department Stazecki invited the teachers to present to the nesses.
The mission is quite simple: expose students (Tech Ed) started having conversations about Superior School Board about the program. “Following that, word of mouth spread,”
to a variety of trades and industries and close how to best serve the community and keep our During the presentation on June 6, 2022, inter- said Gralewski. “People came in pitching ideas,
the skilled trade gap so businesses in the area students engaged. Countless students loved the est in the class grew. and we made dozens of plasma-cut signs for
can thrive. But how did it all start? How did a classes and wanted to take up a career in the “Shortly thereafter, it seemed like things families. We built off that early momentum.
student-led business become one of the fastest- trades. At the time, most Tech Ed courses ended moved pretty fast,” said Kuhlman. “Spike
junior year. Teachers Adam Kuhlman and Spike started to work on a logo that we use today, and Continued on Page 38