Sparking Interest in Metalworking
MHS students learn about career paths from Bend-Rite owner
MARSHALL — The metal shop was busy as a class of about 20 Marshall High School students got to work. Some students put on protective gear to practice making welds, while others were using different techniques to make metal toolboxes.
Working in metal fabrication can be a lot more than just welding, Bill Maertens told students. And metalworking is a skill students can use to find a job they enjoy, he said.
“You guys are lucky, because there’s Help Wanted signs everywhere,” Maertens said.
Maertens, the owner of Bend-Rite Fabrication in Marshall, spoke to students in Travis Christenson’s metalworking class on Tuesday. Before working with students in the shop, he talked about metal fabrication as a career, and shared examples of the different kinds of projects Bend-Rite builds.
“What’s the biggest thing you’ve worked on?” asked one student.
Maertens said some of the biggest projects his business has worked on have included metal fabrication for industrial settings like ethanol plants. But they also create smaller pieces — one project Maertens showed the class was a stand designed to hold fliers at Runnings stores.
“We do a little bit of everything,” Maertens said.
Christenson and Maertens said they teamed up over this school year to talk to MHS students about career opportunities in metal fabrication.
“There’s a huge need for this,” Christenson said. There isn’t just a shortage of welders and metalworkers in the country – it affects all kinds of skilled trades from carpentry to auto mechanics, he said.
Marshall Public Schools is now working to expand students’ options for career and technical education. The district plans to open a CTE center in Marshall this fall, with space for welding and other hands-on courses.
Maertens said it was also helpful for him to be able to talk to high school students about working in metal fabrication. More young people have started expressing interest in working at Bend-Rite, he said.
Part of Maertens’ talk with students on Tuesday included advice as they enter the working world. Being a reliable worker who is willing to learn is more important than being the best welder, he said.
Maertens’ message for students was not to be afraid of working with their hands, or to try different things as they find a career. On top of that, he said, “Don’t ever let anybody tell you you can’t do something.”
