Sixth Grade Students Tour JWR

Today, all sixth grade students had the opportunity to learn about manufacturing first hand at JWR in Johnson Creek. President Dave Wolf shared about the importance of education and personality when it comes to getting a job, regardless of the industry. He stressed that simply being a kind and honest person can be more important than having certain skills. It was also discussed that over 75% of today's jobs now require an education beyond high school. Many of these skills can be acquired at a tech school, such as Madison College, but Mr. Wolf stated that it will take an additional 5 years to become a seasoned worker in the industry.

Mr. Wolf explained that in manufacturing, there are many different aspects involved. Mike Evans expanded on this stating that each person that comes in may have a different skill set. Some people may like working outside, those are the types of people that become installers. Some people like to build things, and those are the people that work in the shop. He also stressed the importance of computer competency. If someone is an office worker, they would obviously spend a lot of time on the computer. However, the CNC Machinists also must possess strong computer skills.

While touring the plant, students quickly took interest in the recycling side of the business. JWR primarily focuses on building, repairing, and installing waste and recycling equipment. Students asked questions about how different recycling equipment worked, how often it needed repair, and who their customers are. Students and staff together learned that JWR is a much bigger operation than we realized. We learned that they service many large accounts such as Best Buy and Kohls, with over 15,000 different pieces of equipment.

We want to thank JWR for taking time out of their day to speak to our students about the importance of manufacturing jobs in the US, as well as the importance of a quality secondary and post secondary education to transition into the workforce.