Welding

Students have the opportunity to begin a career in welding technology. Openings in this field are varied and growing, especially as there are an increasing number of older welders retiring. Welding requires detail-oriented people with good vision and hand-eye co-ordination.

The Welding Certificate program covers a wide range of topics and skills, including:

• Welding/Cutting Safety & Terminology
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW, or stick-welding)
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GWAW, or MIG)
• Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW, or TIG)
• Oxy-fuel and plasma cutting
• Blueprint reading
• Fabrication

The Welding Technology Certificate Program
Four (4) quarters of full-time enrollment are required, and you may begin at the start of any quarter. If you decide to continue your education, the certificate courses may be applied to the Associate of Technical Study (ATS) Welding degree. An additional two to three quarters of study in more advanced skills is included in the ATS curriculum. You may concentrate on one of the pipe welding disciplines – SMAW (uphill or downhill), GMAW or GTAW. Internships may be arranged with local employers.

All welding courses are taught at the Cambridge Campus in the Willett-Pratt Training Center, which houses cutting-edge technology in welding training. You can perfect your hand-eye coordination utilizing virtual reality welding simulators (VRTEX 360) before actually starting to weld in the lab.

State Certification (AWS D1.5) is offered on-site at the end of the Basic SWAW series, and you can practice for both ASME Sec 9 and API 1104 certification tests. Classes are self-paced, and lab times are scheduled with the instructor. Most full-time welding students schedule 24-hours of lab time/week. Welding lab hours are Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.