Chamber highlights manufacturing jobs

By Melissa R. Collum 

The Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce and several of the Chamber Manufacturing members will be hosting seventh and eighth grader students from Bluff View Intermediate School to learn about jobs in manufacturing. The ‘Heavy Metal’ bus tour will take place on October 21, 2022.

Robert Moses, Chamber President/CEO, began the program five years ago. “October is manufacturing month and the Chamber wanted to highlight local manufacturing,” stated Moses. “We have all these great manufacturing jobs in Prairie du Chien and we want to show our students how they can get these jobs.”

There are roughly 130 students who will  attend and tour 3M, Design Homes, Universal Forest Products, Rivertown Ironworks, Truvant, Universal Forest Products, and  Wolf Machine, Inc.. These businesses best fit the timeline for tours this year, but other businesses and  job opportunities will be discussed. 

“When it started we included the all schools in Prairie du Chien” Moses commented, “but because it has gotten so large we can’t include all of them at this time.”

Each business will present a 75 minute tour that includes an introduction, tour of the facilities, and question and answer session. The students will have lunch at either Astec Industries or Universal Forest Products.

The day will conclude at the High School Fine Arts Center with a session and discussion by  faculty from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College.  The presentation will cover the programs and training in manufacturing that S.W. Tech offers.  They will also discuss employment opportunities in local area. 

“It has been a very, very positive program,”  comments Moses. “Manufactures are very pleased with how it turns out and the kids are very excited about the program.”

According to Moses, it is important that the Chamber and its members work to help students understand how they can “help fill the job gap in Prairie du Chien and stay in the community.”