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Author Archives: Enerquip

  1. From Student Apprentice to Full-Time Welder: Jake Dassow’s Enerquip Story

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    Finding an Interest in Welding

    At Enerquip, we believe hands-on learning allows students to build strong careers in manufacturing. Through our mentorship and apprenticeship programs, students can gain real-world experience, develop technical skills, and explore career paths in welding and fabrication.

    Enerquip Welder, Jake Dassow, is one example of how these opportunities can turn into a successful career.

    Jake attended Medford Area Senior High School, where he first became interested in fabrication and welding. As he began exploring mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities, he heard about Enerquip and decided to take the next step toward gaining hands-on industry experience.

    That decision allowed him to learn valuable welding skills while working alongside experienced professionals.

    Gaining Real-World Experience

    During both his mentorship and apprenticeship programs, Jake learned the fundamentals of TIG and MIG welding on stainless steel. Working directly with Enerquip’s skilled welders and mentors helped him strengthen his abilities and build confidence in his work.

    “The mentorship and guidance I received helped me grow quickly as a welder and build confidence in my skills,” says Jake. He also credits the experienced team members at Enerquip for helping him continue learning throughout the program.

    Turning Mentorship Into a Career

    What started as a mentorship eventually led to a full-time position at Enerquip. Today, Jake continues expanding his welding knowledge while manufacturing the high-quality stainless steel equipment Enerquip is known for.

    His journey highlights how mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities can help students transition from the classroom into rewarding manufacturing careers.

    Why Mentorships & Apprenticeships Are Important

    Enerquip’s apprenticeship and mentorship programs are designed to help students explore career opportunities before graduation while gaining practical experience in the manufacturing industry. Jake encourages students to take advantage of opportunities that allow them to learn through experience.

    “Apprenticeships are the best time to test out different career paths,” Jake says.

    If you’re interested in engineering, fabrication, machining, welding, or manufacturing in general, Enerquip’s student programs can help you gain experience and prepare for a lasting career. Click here to learn more.

  2. From Student Mentorship to Full-Time Professional: Emily’s Enerquip Story

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    From Mentorship to Full-Time

    At Enerquip, we offer students opportunities to explore career paths through mentorships and apprenticeships, giving them practical experience and professional development.

    Emily’s story is an example of how an apprenticeship can open the door to a long-term career.

    As an Enerquip apprentice while attending UW–Stout for Engineering Technology, Emily gained real-world industry experience that helped shape her future and eventually led to a full-time role with the company.

    Discovering a Passion for Engineering

    Emily attended Medford Area Senior High, then UW–Stout for Engineering Technology. Her love of problem-solving and analytical thinking inspired her to pursue engineering. She enjoys tackling challenges, paying attention to details, and finding solutions, which guided her career choice.

    Fueled by a genuine curiosity and a drive to make a difference beyond academia, she felt compelled to pursue firsthand industry experience, hoping it would deepen her understanding and broaden her horizons.

    Taking the Next Step Through Mentorship

    Emily wanted more than textbooks, she sought real-world experience and insight into careers in manufacturing and engineering.

    Enerquip’s programs let her work alongside professionals and build practical skills that supported her education and career goals.

    “The program offered hands-on learning, guidance from experienced employees, and the opportunity to develop skills that would benefit me long-term,” Emily explains.

    Manufacturing work gave Emily a clearer sense of workplace expectations, teamwork, and professional duties.

    Building Skills Beyond the Classroom

    Throughout her experience at Enerquip, Emily developed valuable professional skills while gaining exposure to day-to-day operations within the industry. The experience helped her build accountability, confidence, and communication skills, preparing her for future career opportunities.

    She saw how mentorship creates a comfortable environment by encouraging questions and exploration.

    “Students build relationships that make it easier to ask questions they may not feel comfortable asking otherwise,” Emily says.

    Emily better understood the technical and professional aspects of the industry and identified her main interests.

    Turning Opportunity into a Career

    Emily’s mentorship experience eventually led to a long-term role with Enerquip. She continued working for the company during college breaks and, after graduating from UW–Stout, accepted a full-time position.

    The experience gave her an advantage early in her career by providing industry knowledge and professional experience before graduating. It also helped her build valuable relationships and references that supported her transition into the workforce.

    “Without this opportunity, my career path may have looked completely different,” Emily explains.

    Preparing for the Future

    Emily credits mentorship with showing her daily responsibilities before she entered the workforce.

    In addition to gaining experience, she appreciated the supportive culture at Enerquip and the employees’ willingness to help students learn and grow professionally.

    “Enerquip is a great place to learn because people genuinely want to help you grow,” Emily says.

    The experience laid the foundation for her career and reinforced the value of hands-on industry learning.

    Why Mentorships & Apprenticeships Matter

    Emily encourages students to explore mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities to gain experience, build confidence, and learn more about potential career paths before making long-term decisions.

    She believes manufacturing and engineering offer more variety than many realize, and such programs tie classroom learning to real-world work.

    Even if students choose another path, the experience still builds knowledge, skills, and workplace familiarity.

    If you’re interested in engineering, fabrication, machining, welding, or manufacturing in general, Enerquip’s student programs help you gain experience and prepare for a lasting career. Click here to learn more.