Metallica recognizes that people who build, weld, wire and fix the world are actual rock stars in our economy. They know that these skills have immense value, and they want to support the students who choose to learn them.
Luis Rivera confidently stepped forward and faced the imposing industrial stamping machine at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Oak Creek Campus.
The Greendale High School sophomore stared at the bulky piece of equipment, took a breath, then pressed two large, black buttons simultaneously.
The press thundered down and drove two holes into a small, rectangular chunk of steel.
“That’s perfect,” said Michael Hartzheim, an MATC tool and die instructor.
At that moment, Rivera envisioned his future.
“I have always been fascinated with metal,” he said. “I could see myself doing this for a living.”
Rivera was one of 120 area high school students who explored careers in manufacturing, construction and transportation on Tuesday, October 27, at MATC’s 14th Heavy Metal Tour.
Students from Cudahy, Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Oak Creek, St. Francis, South Milwaukee and Whitnall high schools participated in the tour, a daylong event sponsored in part by All Within My Hands (AWMH), a nonprofit foundation established by the members and management of the rock band Metallica to support and advance careers in “heavy metal” manufacturing fields.
Students got a first-hand look at careers in auto collision repair, welding, diesel engineering, tool and die making, cabinet making, carpentry, and heating and cooling systems (HVAC). They also heard from representatives from numerous area employers in the trades and visited several regional employers in the afternoon.
“Wisconsin is a manufacturing powerhouse. Making things is in our DNA. Keeping that economic engine moving forward requires a constant pipeline of highly trained, highly skilled professionals,” MATC President Anthony Cruz told the students at the event.
“Industries that build our world need you, each of you, and they’re willing to pay very well for your talent,” President Cruz said. “These careers offer family supporting wages, incredibly high placement rates and rapid entry into the workforce.”
The event started in the Oak Creek Campus cafeteria, where music by Metallica thumped through the sound system. Students received Metallica T-shirts and posed for photos to show their support for the AWMH Metallica Scholars Initiative.
AWMH and Metallica have given MATC more than $200,000 during the past five years toward scholarships and sponsoring events like the Heavy Metal Tour, said Carol Voss, associate dean of the college’s Manufacturing, Construction and Transportation Academic and Career Pathway.
The first $100,000 came in July 2022, when MATC was selected from a competitive field of community colleges across the country to receive money from AWMH. In June 2024, MATC was one of five community colleges to receive another $100,000 from AWMH, thanks to a donation from the Lowe’s Foundation to fund critical training, equipment, recruiting and wraparound services. The college got another $15,000 for the 2026-27 school year.
“Metallica recognizes that people who build, weld, wire and fix the world are actual rock stars in our economy,” President Cruz said. “They know that these skills have immense value, and they want to support the students who choose to learn them.”
MATC offers diplomas and degrees in more than 30 manufacturing, construction and transportation programs. The college also has dual enrollment opportunities for high school seniors to earn a technical diploma at the same time as their high school diploma.
“The opportunities are right here,” President Cruz said. “The employers are waiting, and the pathways are already built for you. Now it’s time for you to take advantage of all these opportunities.”
President Cruz encouraged the student to be “aggressively curious” during the tour. “Do not just stand back — actively engage with the employers, talk to our faculty and seriously consider how a career in manufacturing could fit into your ambitions,” he said.
During the classroom demonstrations, MATC instructors explained the requirements of each job and the possible pay.
“Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are everywhere in your life,” MATC HVAC instructor Charles Barbour told a group of students. “We keep you cool, we keep you warm. You can work in so many industries.”
Plus, a journeyman steamfitter can make nearly $100 per hour, Barbour said.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of money,” said Landon Rodriguez, a sophomore from Oak Creek High School.
Maintaining and repairing diesel engines also can be lucrative, instructor Dakota Wolf said. “The diesel world is full of higher paid positions,” he told students from Franklin High School. “Diesel engines aren’t just in trucks. They’re in ships, oil rigs and backup generators.”
Back in the tool and die lab, Greendale’s Rivera proudly held the piece of steel he stamped. “I came here today because I was curious about what kind of careers are out there,” he said. “It’s never too early to think about what to do after high school.”
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.