Appleton Technical Academy, more commonly known as ATECH, is a public charter school with a focus on developing the skills necessary for successful entry into the modern advanced manufacturing workforce.

The school was created as a result of the growing number of manufacturing jobs that need to be filled in Wisconsin, as baby boomers retire.

[4] 11th and 12th graders pick a focus area depending on their interests, including[5] welding, machining, automated manufacturing, and mechanical design.

The idea of the school came when Jared Bailin, the president of Eagle Plastics came to Greg Hartjes with the concern that there was a need for people to fill jobs, but also develop the skills needed to successfully work in the shop environment daily; a planning board was formed shortly after.

The typical day at ATech consists of nine periods, the amount of time spent in the charter depends on grade level.