Manufacturing Works/
Gold Collar Careers

Manufacturing Works is a volunteer organization created in 2004 with the purpose of promoting advanced manufacturing as a career option, using the term Gold Collar Careers, throughout northwestern Wisconsin. The name Gold Collar Careers represents a blend of the traditional blue collar and white collar workforce. Gold Collar Careers refers to available careers in manufacturing that are in high demand and provide excellent pay and benefits.

The organization, Manufacturing Works, consists of economic development partners, private manufacturing businesses, technical colleges, universities and Workforce Resource in northwestern Wisconsin – all with the same goal to promote manufacturing as an excellent career option to parents, teachers, counselors, students and other influencers.

A Volunteer Organization consisting of numerous agencies

Thanks to the generosity of supporting manufacturing organizations, the efforts of key manufacturing leadership, the support of CESAs at the secondary education level, post secondary colleges, and Workforce Development organizations much has been done to fill the pipeline to producing trained technicians in North West Wisconsin. Regional groups such as EMMA, 7-Rivers, Manufacturing Works, Grow North, Centergy, and others began to create an enhanced regional West Central Wisconsin Manufacturing image and helped to fill the supply chain for these manufacturing technology education programs.

Many of the regional groups were connected with a Wisconsin Technical College Initiative called Advanced Manufacturing Solutions and numerous funding grant opportunities. Wisconsin was divided into four quadrants. The NW Quadrant or Advanced Manufacturing Network - Northwest, was established and linked six technical college districts from Superior to La Crosse and from Hudson to Wausau. These six districts make up approximately fifty percent of Wisconsin's geographic area so that outreach was a challenge.

The regional efforts to promote manufacturing careers have been successful to date with more work to do. Many of the mall kiosks, youth academies, robotics competitions, welding camps, nanotechnology camps, movie trailers, teacher in-service training, publications, outreach and PowerPoint presentations have begun to fill the manufacturing training programs.

Manufacturing Jobs are in high demand

The technical worker supply chain however will continue to be an issue in Northern, Western, and North Central Wisconsin if the demographic predictions are correct. As a result of the projected skilled worker shortage for the coming years, we are now moving to expand on the initial successes of these groups to provide regional youth outreach and promote the positive and exciting nature of manufacturing.

Our job has just begun to help the middle school, high school, and displaced worker populations explore opportunities in manufacturing. The Gold Collar Career website is a portal to help middle school and high school students, teachers, parents, and other influencers the ability to explore manufacturing careers.

• (715) 654-5355
  

  Liberty Homes Inc – Dorchester

  Whol Cnstn Materials Mfg Prefab Metal Bldgs Mfg Prefabrcatd Wd Bldgs Mfg Mobile Homes

• (715) 386-5000
  

  License Plate & Tag Renewal – Hudson

  Mfg Metal Stampings

• (715) 373-2221
  

  Lidco Industries Ltd – Washburn

  Manufactures Plastic Products Specializing In Injection Molding Of Plastics & Inventor

• (715) 359-6544
  www.soypass.com

  LignoTech USA Inc – Rothschild

  Manufactures gum & wood chemicals

• (715) 536-2461
  www.lincolnwindows.com

  Lincoln Wood Products Inc – Merrill

  Manufactures wooden window frames; manufactures window & door frames; manufactures wooden doors

• (715) 247-5463
  www.linds.com

  Lind Shoe Co – Somerset

  Mfg Shoes

• (715) 356-2022
  www.ets-lindgren.com

  Lindgren Rf Enclosures Inc – Minocqua

  Manufactures testing chambers for altitude, temperature, ordnance, power; manufactures blowers & fans; manufactures partitions & fixtures; manufactures electronic coils & transformers; sheet metal fabricator; manufactures metal stampings

• (715) 855-1499
  

  Lindner Co's LLC – Eau Claire

  Mfg Sheet Metalwork

• (715) 483-3131
  www.lindortool.com

  Lindor Tool Co – Saint Croix Falls

  Mfg Industrial Machinery Mfg Dies/Tools/Jigs/Fixtures

• (715) 675-9796
  

  Lindy Penn LLC – Wausau

  Mfg Misc Products