Welder at UA Local 400, Sep. 10, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Whether you’re looking at your next chapter after high school or making a career change, entering the trades is becoming more popular. UA Local 400 in Kaukauna specializes in the pipe trades and says all of its programs are growing.
A record number of people are in their first year of apprenticeship programs at UA Local 400 in Kaukauna. Each of the last three years, its programs set new highs in the neighborhood of 100 apprentices.
Training director David Brazzale says this year brought a big change.
“This year we saw a spike, so about a 40% increase, and we’re at 139 apprentices,” said Brazzale.
That brings the grand total of apprentices up to nearly 500 spread across the five-year programs.
“Right now, our fabrication apprenticeship program is really booming. Our local fab shops are seeing some real big peaks in work, so we’re at 44 first-year apprentices just with the fabricators, and on any given week we’re running about 90 apprentices through the weld shop,” said Brazzale.
But why are more people deciding the trades are the right path forward?
For fourth-year apprentices Ayden Killam and Preston Miller, one major factor was how expensive a college education has become. Apprentices in the program, on the other hand, work and earn money while they learn.
According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of college in the U.S. is nearly $40,000 per year.
“There’s a lot of expenses to it. I don’t know, just the thought of being in debt and starting off your life in debt is a scary thing,” said Killam.
The EDI also said an average bachelor’s degree has a 560% lifetime return on investment.
Another consideration has been the rise of artificial intelligence taking over certain jobs.
“It definitely wasn’t on my mind as much as it is now with it progressing through the last couple of years. But I know that the pipe trades will always be there,” said Miller.
College is a viable path for many and apprenticeships aren’t for everyone. But if given the chance to do it all over again, Killam and Miller say they wouldn’t choose anything else.
“I helped a lot of people out in this trade. I made a lot of great connections, met a lot of people, found a lot of cool places and different job sites. So, absolutely no regrets for getting into the trades,” said Killam.
Last week, Killam and Miller, along with other apprentices, were building tiny homes in Green Bay for veterans in need.
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