Welding Jobs in High Demand Across Wis.

From wsaw.com: “Welding Jobs in High Demand Across Wis.” — “I was always interested in ships and that’s what sparked the interest,” Ben Kuether said.

Kuether is a student at Northcentral Technical College working toward his certificate in welding.

“I plan on going to Marquette and seeing if they need welders to work on the ships,” he said.

The one year program at NTC has a 90 percent placement rate, in part, because welders are in higher demand than ever around the state.

“There’s definitely employers calling, asking about our students,” Darren Wackley said.

Wackley is the dean of the Technical and Trades Division at NTC. He says in this economy, those calls are hard to come by.

“It’s one of the best feelings of the whole college here, when we see our students out in the workplace finding jobs and doing stuff that they’re trained for,” Wackley said.

The need stems from a greater trend across the country, but one that’s rooted in Wisconsin’s workers.

“These large manufacturers are seeing an increase in order, therefore, they need the parts,” Bruce Trimble with the Department of Workforce Development said.

Trimble says welders in the state make important products for airplanes, ships and cranes used all over the world.

“Welding machine tools are at a 5 to 7 percent projected increase in the next five to 10 years,” he said.

They are numbers that Kuether appreciates as he enters the workforce next spring.

“You can weld buildings together, you can weld stoves together,” Kuether said. “They always need welders.”