Live job listings from union halls, defense primes, and skilled-trade employers in your state.
mikeroweWORKS Foundation and partner programs offer scholarships designed specifically for skilled-trade training.
Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one — average 4-year programs end in journey-level wages.
Each of these trades is in heavy demand right now. Each one is essential to America’s defense industrial base. Pick the one that fits the way you want to spend your days.
Installs and maintains electrical wiring, equipment and fixtures
Pay Range: $40K – $110K
Job Growth: +11%
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Joins metal parts using heat for industrial, structural and pipeline work.
Pay Range: $33K – $75K
Job Growth: +4%
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Operates computer-controlled machines to fabricate precision parts.
Pay Range: $34K – $75K
Job Growth: +5%
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Lays out, assembles and maintains high-pressure piping systems.
Pay Range: $38K – $108K
Job Growth: +6%
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Installs and services heating, ventilation and cooling systems.
Pay Range: $36K – $84K
Job Growth: +6%
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Repairs and maintains plant machinery and production equipment.
Pay Range: $38K – $108K
Job Growth: +8%
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Operates cranes, excavators and dozers on construction sites.
Pay Range: $36K – $80K
Job Growth: +5%
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Maintains specialized systems for defense and aerospace contractors.
Pay Range: $42K – $110K
Job Growth: +8%
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Search live openings from employers and union halls in your area.
In-state programs vetted for skilled-trade and apprenticeship pathways.
Milwaukee, WI
Hands-on welding certificate program with industry-standard equipment and instructors.
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Madison, WI
Electrical and electronics technology program preparing students for journeyman pathways.
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Green Bay, WI
Associate degree in industrial maintenance and mechatronics with strong manufacturing placement.
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Appleton, WI
CNC and precision-machining programs built around the Fox Valley's manufacturing base.
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Kenosha, WI
Two-semester HVAC-R certificate covering residential and light-commercial systems.
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Milwaukee, WI
Earn-while-you-learn electrical apprenticeship sponsored by IBEW Local 494.
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Active across all major trades, 2024
Through 2034 (Wisconsin DWD)
Across in-demand trade roles statewide
Active WI programs (DWD, 2025)
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state-level OES; Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) projections; Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards / U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship database.
Wisconsin's highest-demand skilled-trade roles include welders, electricians, CNC machinists, pipefitters, and industrial maintenance technicians — driven by naval shipbuilding at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Oshkosh Defense's military vehicle production, and the dense advanced-manufacturing base around Milwaukee, Appleton, and Green Bay.
A standard Wisconsin electrician apprenticeship runs about four years of paid on-the-job training paired with classroom hours — roughly 8,000 hours total, administered through the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards. Apprentices earn a percentage of journey wage that scales each year, and the program counts toward the state journeyman credential.
Milwaukee Area Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay all offer accredited welding certificate and degree tracks. See the Trade schools section above for the full list and outbound links.
Yes. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, the Wisconsin Grant program, and the Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship all provide funding available to Wisconsin residents enrolled in skilled-trade training. See the Scholarships section for current programs and deadlines.
Our mission is simple: build the workforce that builds and defends America. Our national and economic security depends on it. We will help power our nation’s defense industrial base and revive the skilled trades. We will be connecting the next generation of builders – the welders, machinists, mechanics, electricians, technicians and more – to high-wage, big-impact jobs. You can help us build freedom for generations to come.
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In partnership with mikeroweWORKS Foundation, National Labor Exchange and the Department of War.