Plumbers & Steamfitters Union Local 400 welcomed dozens of new apprentices into the skilled trades at a recent Apprentice Signing Day.
“Local 400 is proud to welcome the 2025 class of apprentices. Today’s event showcases them and conveys what they mean to us,” said Doug Dokey, business manager of Local 400. “These men and women represent the future of our industry and the backbone of our communities.”
The 99-member group of first year apprentices includes 15 plumbers, 42 steamfitters, 21 HVAC/R technicians, and 14 pipe fabricators. After completing 900-plus hours of classroom instruction, 8,000-plus hours of on-the-job training, and passing required exams, each apprentice will transition into journeyman status, earning more than $60 per hour free from student debt.
Sixty-four of these apprentices, their families, and 13 sponsoring contractors gathered Friday for Local 400’s annual Signing Day ceremony in Kaukauna. Participating contractors included August Winter & Sons, Bassett Mechanical, CR Meyer, EGI, Hurckman Mechanical Industries, Illingsworth –Kilgust Mechanical, J.F. Ahern Co., Kuhlman, Inc., MTI, Piping Service Inc., Straightline Refrigeration, Team Industries, and Tweet/Garot Mechanical.
Tania Kilpatrick, director of career readiness at CESA 6, called the trades essential to Wisconsin’s economy,
“Our economy isn’t powered by Wall Street, it’s powered by people in steel-toed boots, scrubs, safety glasses, and welding helmets. Manufacturing, construction, healthcare, transportation, energy-this is the backbone of Wisconsin. And the truth is, we don’t just need more workers. We need more skilled workers. People willing to learn, to put in the effort, and to take pride in a job well done,” Kilpatrick said. “Let me be blunt: the world doesn’t run without the trades. It never has, and it never will. Apps don’t build houses. Al doesn’t repair engines. You can’t download a bridge. Somebody has to roll up their sleeves, put in the work, and get it done. That’s you.”
