HORTONVILLE— For some high school graduates and local residents in Hortonville, New London and Clintonville, building a lucrative, lifelong career doesn’t require moving away or taking on thousands in college debt.
It starts right here at home.
Local tradesmen Noah Dillenberg and Ethan Bentle of Hortonville, along with Jonathan Sleeter of New London, are among a record wave of young workers stepping directly onto local job sites this fall as new registered apprentices with Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400 (UA Local 400).
Sponsoring them are area employers like Piping Systems Inc. in Hortonville, which welcomed four new apprentices this season to help meet surging regional demand for pipefitters, welders, and plumbers.
Enerpipe in New London is putting on five apprentices.
“Bringing on local apprentices is how we build our future workforce,” said Tony Kent, President of Piping Systems Inc.
“The demand for skilled pipefitters, plumbers, and welders across Northeast Wisconsin and nationwide keeps growing, and the best way to meet it is to train people who already live and work in these communities.
When we hire apprentices through UA Local 400, we get people who learn the trade the right way from day one... It also keeps skilled workers, and their paychecks, in our local economy, said Kent.
Local passion meets long-term stability
For young workers entering the trade, the decision offers high starting pay, immediate job security, and clear hands-on career growth.
Sleeter cited both the financial prospects and the hands-on nature of the trade as major drivers for signing on from New London.
“Making a lot of money and getting to weld all the time sounded pretty cool,” Sleeter said. Looking ahead to his five-year apprenticeship, his focus is clear: “Learning everything I can and making a lot of money.”
In Hortonville, high school shop programs continue to play a pivotal role in sparking technical career paths. Apprentice Ethan Bentle credited his high school shop teacher for encouraging his career trajectory.
“I fell in love with [welding] in high school,” Bentle explained. “I had a really good shop teacher and that kind of pushed us to go into the trades.”
For Bentle, the career stability carries deep personal significance: “Money and bettering our future. I’ve got kids, so having them set for life, too, is big.”
Fellow Hortonville signee Noah Dillenberg noted that the apprenticeship provides a structured pathway straight out of school.
“It’s giving us a starting point,” Dillenberg said, adding that his decision grew out of a long-standing passion. “It’s something that I’ve always liked to do — welding.”
Military transitions and finding home in Clintonville
While high school shop classes propel many young trade workers, the apprenticeship pipeline also serves as a vital bridge for military veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
Clintonville resident Ryan Scott, an HVAC/R Service Tech apprentice sponsored by August Winter & Sons, took a different route into the trade through the United Association Veterans in Piping (UA VIP) program.
Scott, a military veteran with prior mechanical experience, recently moved to Clintonville with his family to start his new career.
“The simple answer is that it was pretty stressful at first,” Scott said of the transition. “In the VIP program, you have a lot of information thrown at you quickly, but I had some experience with HVAC from being a mechanic in the military and a patient teacher who helped me get through the transition seamlessly. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Local 400 and August Winter & Sons have given me and my family.”
Scott noted that traditional four-year college was never his goal, making the earn-while-you-learn model a natural fit.
“I always knew that college wasn’t for me, so I’m glad I was able to get into this apprenticeship and start to build a career,” Scott said. “I’m originally from the Milwaukee area and a new resident of Clintonville, so honestly, I’m just glad I was able to find a home here for me and my family.”
His advice for fellow service members or young adults considering career options is direct: “I would say just do it. Leaving the military is already a very hard thing to do, and not knowing what is in store for you is even harder,” he said.
“If you need something that is a guarantee—as long as you put in the work—with job security behind it, the trades are something to at least look into.”
Record-breaking numbers on signing day
The local signees were formally recognized alongside their peers on Sept. 25 during UA Local 400’s annual Apprentice Signing Day ceremony at the training center in Kaukauna.
Modeled after college athletic signing events, the gathering formally pairs incoming trade students with the regional mechanical contractors sponsoring their employment.
This year’s class totaled 138 first-year apprentices—a 35% increase over last year’s class of 102—marking the largest incoming class in Local 400’s history.
The class includes 44 pipe fabricators (welders), 38 steamfitters, 27 plumbers, and 29 HVAC/R service technicians.
“We are seeing a healthy amount of work across our jurisdiction, with our fabrication shops continuing to expand and seek additional skilled workers,” said Doug Dokey, Business Manager of UA Local 400.
“The record number of first-year apprentices entering our program this year demonstrates the strength of our industry and its future.”
Earn while you learn
Over the course of five years, UA Local 400 apprentices complete more than 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training alongside 900-plus hours of classroom instruction at the local’s 61,000-square-foot training center.
Local 400 invests more than $4.6 million annually in its training programs.
Industry data underscores the demand for these positions. According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, employment for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow by roughly 12% across the Fox Valley and Bay Area regions through 2032, earning them designation as high-demand “hot jobs.”
Jeff Gaecke, Executive Vice President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin, emphasized the long-term career potential for local signees.
“Out there in the workforce, with all the people that are retiring and the construction boom that we’re having, everybody’s competing for folks like these,” Gaecke said.
“We say to these individuals all the time that we’re not looking for jobs, we’re looking for careers. Whether you start as a welder or a plumber today, the sky’s the limit.”
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