Students Find Unique Job Opportunities at McFarlane Mfg.

The school year is ending, which means a new class is starting their Youth Apprenticeship journey at McFarlane Mfg. There are several unique employment opportunities for local youth to gain real-world experience during the school year and summer break.

"We are proud to support the Youth Apprentice and Project SEARCH programs. When you see a young person's interest spark, it's gratifying for the students and us," says Todd Lassanske, general manager of McFarlane Mfg. "These are life-changing opportunities for students. We've had students who decided on a new career path because of their experience here. Equally rewarding is when students who don't know what they want to do after graduation find their passion and career path during the apprenticeship."

This summer, 11 of the employees in the manufacturing facility will be Youth Apprentices, working in welding, product assembly, engineering, and structural steel estimating. During a Youth Apprenticeship, high school Junior and Seniors gain paid, relevant work experience in the field of their choice.

In addition to Youth Apprentices, McFarlane Mfg. also participates in Project SEARCH, an unpaid internship for young adults with disabilities. "Our manufacturing facility has worked with two young adults through this program, both of which became permanent hires after the internship," says Greg Schinker, production manager at McFarlane Mfg. "We have great mentors on our team who enjoy teaching and working with young people. We're also lucky to work with amazing programs such as the CESA 5 Youth Apprenticeship program and Project SEARCH."

"We've been a part of the Sauk County community for over 100 years. We want to be here for another 100 years, and we need a skilled, dependable workforce to make that happen. These programs are one of several ways that we partner with our local school districts to prepare young adults for life and showcase careers in manufacturing," says Lassanske.

Anyone interested in learning more about our youth employment opportunities can reach out to our Human Resources department: hr@mcfarlanemfg.com.