MARINETTE – The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recognizes October as Manufacturing Month, using this as an opportunity to promote careers and educational opportunities within manufacturing. Capping off the month is the Excellence in Manufacturing/K-12 Partnerships Awards, where the Marinette School District will accept their Brighter Image education award.
This exciting win is the result of dedicated teachers, strong partnerships and hardworking students, according to high school technical education teacher Scott Macintyre.
“It was a very nice surprise, we’re very deserving of it — but it was also a huge surprise for us,” Macintyre said.
While he has been with the Marinette School District for 16 years as a coach and the former head of maintenance, this win comes just four years into his tech ed teaching career.
“I brought a ton of energy down to this department and then Matt Marotz is kind of our anchor,” Macintyre said of the department.
Although Macintyre still isn’t positive on who nominated the district for this award, he has a few theories — which serves to demonstrate the support the department has received from the community.
He also credited this win to Adam McCauley and business teachers Jenny Clemo and Mitchell Arens for providing students with a well-rounded technical education.
Macintyre himself teaches an engineering introduction class and 3D modeling/mechanical engineering class, however his welding classes have seen increased popularity in recent years.
“It’s taken off since I came here,” he explained, noting that students who continue the path and enrolling in Welding III can gain college credits from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC).
Macintyre is a firm supporter of the relationship between NWTC and the school district, “Life isn’t always about [going to] a four-year college, I’m a prime example of that.”
Prior to working in the district, Macintyre graduated from Marinette High School in 1997 and, unsure of what he wanted to do next, enrolled in NWTC to open the door to higher paying career opportunities.
In addition to gaining credits, welding students have also had the opportunity to work alongside college students at the NWTC — Marinette campus.
On Oct. 1 students visited the college to partake in the second annual Welding Rodeo during which they created sculptures that were auctioned off to raise money towards welding scholarships. The high school students took first place in their category for the second time.
“The neat part of the welding rodeo is watching these students get creative and be able to make art out of something different and then being able to watch the [professionals] do the same,” Macintyre.
Attending the welding rodeo, gaining extra experience through the welding club or going to the Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna with the automobile club are just a few ways the tech ed department keeps students involved and shows off the fun things they are able to accomplish.
Macintyre added that the different aspects of technical education at Marinette High School are rounded out by making sure students are kept up-to-date with new trends and machinery.
Macintyre said that last spring he applied for a grant and received nearly $100,000 for the department, which was used to purchase Haas Mini Mill.
The Haas Mini Mill is a CNC machining device used to precisely cut and shape material into specific parts.
“Schools have been pushing that the area needs welders, so all of the schools switched to welding. Now, the machine companies need machinists — people who can do the math and programming. So, I’m hoping to wrinkle that into my mechanical engineering class,” Macintyre explained.
Teaching students about different methods, machines and techniques introduces them to a variety of job fields.
“I want to see every single one of these kids that walks into my classroom succeed. If they say, ‘Hey, I want to work with Waupaca Foundry,’ great — I’ll call the [human resources] director… you’ve got to build those relationships and then those employers trust that I’m going to send them a quality employee and they’re excited about it,” he said.
Although Manufacturing Month is coming to an end, Macintyre is excited to continue working with the team in Marinette to welcome in new students and see others off as they find gainful employment.
The NEW Manufacturing Alliance will hold the Excellence in Manufacturing/K-12 Partnerships Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the Resch Expo in Ashwaubenon.
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