April is National Welding Month, and 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of this observance, led by the American Welding Society. It’s a month dedicated to recognizing the skilled professionals whose work holds our infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy systems together. At AirPro, welding is central to what we do, and this year we want to talk about something we’ve been investing in: getting the next generation excited about the trade.
The Shortage Is Real
The American Welding Society projects that roughly 330,000 new welding professionals will be needed in the United States by 2028, with an average of 82,500 welding positions to fill every year. More than 159,000 current welders are approaching retirement, and the average age of a welder in the U.S. is 55. The Great Lakes region, which includes Wisconsin, accounts for more than a quarter of the national demand for welding professionals.
This isn’t an abstract problem for us. All four of our manufacturing facilities are located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. We depend on our team of skilled welders to fabricate the heavy-duty industrial fans our customers depend on. When the talent pipeline shrinks, we feel it.
Bringing Students Into the Shop
So far this year, we’ve hosted three groups of high school students at our facility for hands-on welding experiences. We know that manufacturing-minded students prefer to get their hands dirty, so we skipped the classroom and invited these students into our shop, where they met our welding team, and got to work.
Each group toured our manufacturing facility to see how fan wheels are fabricated. Then they worked together alongside one of our experienced welders to build a sample fan wheel that they got to take back to their welding shops at school. Some groups also made metal butterfly art projects, which gave them a chance to practice their technique on something creative.
The visits were designed to give students a feel for what a career in manufacturing actually looks like: the skill involved, the technology used, the variety of work, and the people who make it happen. Our welding staff made genuine connections with these students. They offered their time, advice and even lunch breaks to spend time with the next generation of welders. When a high schooler sees someone doing work they find interesting and that person takes the time to show them the ropes, it changes the way they think about what’s possible.
Why This Matters to Us
AirPro is 100% employee owned. Every person here has a stake in the future of this company, and that future depends on attracting talented people who want to build things. The welding profession offers competitive wages, job security, and the kind of hands-on problem solving that many people find deeply satisfying. But for too long, the trades have been underrepresented as a career path for young people.
We believe that changes one shop visit at a time. When students walk through our doors and see what modern manufacturing looks like, they leave with a broader picture of what their options are. Some of them may end up welding for AirPro someday. Others may pursue careers in manufacturing, engineering, or the trades elsewhere. Either way, the industry wins.
More to Come
These visits are part of a larger commitment to workforce development and community engagement. We’re proud to be part of a growing effort across the manufacturing industry to open our doors, share our knowledge, and invest in the people who will carry this work forward.If you’re an educator, school administrator, or community organization in the Rhinelander area and you’re interested in scheduling a visit for your students, we’d love to hear from you.