In March 2012, the Chippewa Valley Technical College held a manufacturing show to present the benefits and innovations of an often misunderstood sector of the economy. The event featured demonstrations in electromechanical engineering, industrial mechanics, nanotechnology, machine tooling, engineering technology, and welding.

Eau Claire based Realityworks demonstrated its teachWELD program at the event. The program trains students welding skills through the use of curriculum, software, and hardware including a welding gun, helmet and gloves. Realityworks developed the program in coordination with CVTC to provide job training for skilled work. teachWELD is an excellent example of a program meant to bridge the gap created in Wisconsin when job seekers do not have the skills needed to fill job openings. This disparity, known as "skills mismatch" is often blamed for persistent jobless numbers.