How does someone become a precision welder? For many of Microtech's team, it started in high school at a welding booth, on a shop tour, or at a signing table. For over two decades, our partnerships with local Career Academy and work-based learning programs have connected students with careers in precision micro-welding, and many of our current team joined us through internships.
It starts in the classroom
The pathway begins before a student ever sets foot in our facility. During their junior year, students enrolled in a high school welding program build the foundation with coursework such as Principles of Welding Technology, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), and Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG). This is where the technical fundamentals take hold and where students start to find out whether the trade fits.
The hands-on internship takes place during senior year.
What it takes to qualify
Students put in real work before they earn a Microtech internship. Before a student is eligible for the Welding Technology internship, they need to:
- Complete the Year 1 Welding Technology curriculum, demonstrating proficiency across those foundational welding processes
- Earn a grade of B or higher in Welding Year 1, showing both academic performance and hands-on skill
- Maintain good attendance, which is a prerequisite for advancing into the program
- Demonstrate shop safety knowledge, including proper PPE use, hazard identification, and safe equipment operation (some schools also provide OSHA 10-hour safety training)
- Arrange reliable transportation to the internship site
- Meet workplace readiness requirements: passing a drug screening, obtaining parent or guardian consent if under 18, and demonstrating a strong work ethic and commitment to following employer safety policies
From there, selection is collaborative. The school and Microtech work together, and we're not required to accept every candidate. We review student recommendations, interview candidates, and determine whether a student is the right fit for our workplace and our available positions, the same way any hire is evaluated.
The internship: a five-phase skill path
A typical internship runs the full senior school year, with a weekly commitment of 10 to 20 hours customized between the school, the student, and our team around the student's class schedule. It isn't a job-shadowing arrangement. It's a structured, phased progression from safety orientation to production welding.
Phase 1 — Orientation & Safety. Every intern starts here: facility tour, safety orientation, PPE requirements, EHS procedures, and an overview of our quality system. Students learn our work instructions and documentation practices, observe welding operations, and absorb workplace expectations around communication and following procedures.
Phase 2 — Basic Manufacturing Support. Interns begin contributing: loading and unloading fixtures, measuring with basic inspection tools, reading drawings and weld symbols, preparing weld samples and coupons, and assisting weld technicians. This is where blueprint interpretation, attention to detail, and an understanding of process flow start to sharpen.
Phase 3 — Supervised Welding Activities. Now the torch comes on. Under supervision, interns operate equipment, run practice welds on coupons, develop welding technique, and perform tack welding once qualified.
Phase 4 — Increased Responsibility. As interns qualify, they move into production welding on actual parts, running repeatable processes, completing process documentation, performing in-process inspections, troubleshooting basic issues, and supporting continuous improvement activities.
Phase 5 — Transition to Employment. Successful completion can lead to a full-time welding position when one is available, and the student has demonstrated strong performance, reliability, and workplace readiness throughout the internship.
Along the way, interns also have the opportunity to practice and prepare for an AWS D17.1 welder qualification in stainless steel, using both Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) and Laser Beam Welding (LBW) processes, the same certified standards our medical device and aerospace customers rely on.
Nobody does it alone
Every intern is assigned a supervisor who provides training, monitors safety practices, assigns work tasks, and communicates the student's progress. Beyond that one-on-one support, our team members share their knowledge and help build technical skills in a collaborative, team-oriented environment. A program coordinator from the student's school stays involved throughout, working with us to ensure educational objectives and internship requirements are being met.
Signing Day and beyond
One milestone along the pathway is a "signing day". Across participating schools, students formalize their commitments at signing ceremonies modeled on college athletic signing days, bringing together local employers and students to celebrate the bridge from education to employment. Microtech has welcomed team members including Andrew Hill, Ben Vogley, Makenna Lundy, Avah Wolf, and Addison Jones from these programs.
Who's participating
Today the program serves students from Fort Wayne Community Schools and Whitley County Consolidated Schools. We welcome participation from other area schools, though proximity between the school and the workplace matters for transportation and scheduling. Looking ahead, Bishop Dwenger has announced plans for an on-campus Career Academy that will include a Welding Technology pathway.
For over two decades, this pathway has been how skilled students become skilled welders, and how Microtech continues to build the team that delivers quality precision welding to the medical, aerospace, industrial, firearms, and tool and die industries.
Interested in a career in precision welding? See our current openings on the Work With Us page.
Students can also ask their school counselor or welding instructor about Career Academy and work-based learning opportunities.
Related stories
- 2025 FWCS Career Academy Signing Day — welcoming Addison Jones
- 2024 Internship Showcase and Signing — welcoming Makenna Lundy
- Intern Signing Day — welcoming Andrew Hill and Ben Vogley
- FWCS Career Academy Job Fair
- FWCS Career Academy Facility Visit
- Partnership with Whitley County Schools
- Employee Spotlight: Mike Zehner
