Partners in Prosperity

Partners in Prosperity is a high school-based welding program that yields skilled laborers ready for employment upon high school graduation. The three-semester program, which is credentialed through Western Technical College, is a collaborative effort between the Sparta Area School District, Western Technical College, and industry leaders in Western Wisconsin. Students will earn a Basic Welding Embedded Technical Diploma, the Wisconsin Employability Skills Certificate, and their high school diploma upon graduating from the Sparta Area School District and the program.

weldingDuring the program, students are mentored by welding professionals to ensure a basic understanding of welding, and by local human resource directors to learn employability skills and local businesses’ hiring criteria. Upon graduation, students have the foundation they need if they choose to continue their education at Western Technical College, where they’ll have the opportunity to earn a Manufacturing Systems Maintenance Technical Diploma, a Welding Technical Diploma, or enter the workforce.

Welding Internships

To ensure job placement at minimum wage or higher within six months of students completing their training, local employers have agreed to provide internships for Partners in Prosperity students. The school district will teach students the necessary “soft” skills, while the employers will allow them to further learn the welding skills they’ll need to become valued employees after graduation, or to continue their education. Partners in Prosperity represents an investment in the local economy, and in local families. By providing education and training to graduates, together we are investing in our community’s future.

Sparta High School
Student population: 750
506 North Black River Street, Sparta, WI
(608) 366-3504

Welding Employment Statistics

  • From 2012 to 2022, the estimated employment in welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Wisconsin is projected to increase by 25.95 percent—from 2,826 to 3,559 with an average of 142 openings per year.
  • The number of jobs for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Wisconsin is expected to increase by 6.4 percent—from 13,249 to 14,102 with an average number of openings per year at 410 from 2012 to 2022.
  • Statewide from November 2013 to November 2014, the number of manufacturing jobs climbed by 11,700. Welding is also a skill needed for installation, maintenance and repair workers.
  • Installation, maintenance and repair is ranked third among the nine hot jobs in Western Wisconsin identified by Wisconsin’s Worknet. Estimated employment in installation, maintenance and repair was 744 in 2010. It is expected to increase by 197 or 28.5 percent to 941 in 2020.

Source: Wisconsin’s Worknet