BRODHEAD — Kuhn North America, Inc. recently celebrated its first-ever Welding Youth Apprentice Signing Day event. During the event, upcoming graduates signed their commitment to the “KUHN U” program, with their families, educators, and KUHN staff in attendance.

Four Welding Youth Apprentice students will complete the program and graduate from high school this spring. All four have committed to continue honing their welding skills through post-secondary education with support from the KUHN U tuition reimbursement program. They have all enrolled in either a one- or two-year welding program at a local technical college to further their welding education. While in school, they will work at least 20 hours per week at KUHN. After graduation from the program and 1 year of full-time employment, the student will be reimbursed up to $5,000 in tuition.

One additional Welding Youth Apprentice student was recognized for completing year one of the program and signing on to continue for a second year.

The Green County Consortium for the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program was formed in 1998. The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship is an industry-driven and nationally recognized talent acquisition strategy in which employers hire high school juniors and seniors for a one- or two-year Youth Apprenticeship. Employers provide mentored on-the-job training and evaluation for the students, who pair courses related to the profession to enhance the on-the-job learning.

KUHN helped spearhead the birth of the Welding Youth Apprenticeship program in Green County and hosted its first Youth Apprentice in 1999. Since then, over 40 students have successfully completed the program at KUHN and the company is proud to be a continuing sponsor of this valuable training program for students for 25 years and counting. 

Kuhn North America, Inc., of Brodhead, Wisconsin, is a leading innovator in agricultural and industrial equipment. KUHN offers a broad range of hay and forage, livestock, and crop production tools, as well as landscape and road maintenance equipment. KUHN, KUHN Knight and KUHN Krause products are sold by farm equipment dealers throughout the United States, Canada and many other countries.