With the start of this school year, 9th graders are filling five sections of Metals, the first class in the manufacturing and metals pathway at McHenry High School Freshman Campus.
It’s great news for manufacturing teachers who have spent the last few years promoting careers in manufacturing, and good news for the senior-level Manufacturing Seminar course. The seminar is a yearlong independent study program that often leads to internships and apprenticeships.
Payton Waigand, industrial tech instructor who teaches the Metals classes at Freshman Campus, credits their work meeting with middle school students and offering tours as well as the high school’s annual Manufacturing, Trades and Industry (MTI) Career Expo for the interest in manufacturing among freshman students.
“We have a lot of things we can offer them,” Waigand said of the high school’s manufacturing program. Manufacturing I and Manufacturing II – both yearlong classes – follow Metals and are pre-requisites for the seminar.
Having students start in Metals during freshman year puts them on track to participate in the seminar senior year. The seminar is also enjoying the renewed interest, going from five students last year to 11 students for 2026-2027.
The school district bought two new mills for the Metals students at Freshman Campus. Between Freshman Campus and Upper Campus, which houses the advanced manufacturing lab, there are typically about seven sections of Metals classes.
All students are invited to the annual MTI event, which features more than 40 exhibitors from local companies, community colleges, and trade programs to show students and families the career opportunities in manufacturing, trades, industry and healthcare. This year’s expo is Oct. 14.
In addition to the MTI expo, McHenry High School regularly has students participate in the summer manufacturing paid internship program through the McHenry County Manufacturing Pathways Consortium. Manufacturing teachers are also spreading the word about a BeNext Graduate program by the Technology and Manufacturing Association to match high school graduates with apprenticeship opportunities at local businesses.