Number of welding jobs projected to grow by 14 percent by 2020
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 16, 2014) – To help meet the high demand for welders in the Louisville area, Sullivan College of Technology and Design (SCTD) and Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) have formed a partnership that is offering welding training and education courses this summer.
The SCTD Welding Institute classes begin July 1 and will meet for 11 weeks from 6 to 9:40 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Jeffersontown High School, 9600 Old Six Mile Lane in Louisville. The goal of the program is to prepare students and graduates to sit for the American Welding Society (AWS) Certification exam.
The Welding Institute is comprised of four tracks that follow SCTD’s quarter system. Students taking the first track, or quarter, do not need a background in welding to learn the basics.
“The Welding Institute is a tremendous opportunity for students to take advantage of a growing industry with high earning potential by gaining the knowledge needed to be successful,” said Chris Ernst, SCTD Executive Director. “Students can enter at a level that accommodates their training and experience, can stop whenever they achieve their personal objective and obtain employment-ready certifications along the way.”
JCPS currently offers welding instruction programs at Jefferstown and Iroquois high schools.
“We are pleased that our high school welding students will have another local post-secondary option leading to advanced training and careers right here in Louisville,” said Deborah Anderson, a JCPS career theme specialist.
Industry research clearly shows a strong demand for welding jobs in the Louisville region.
The number of welding jobs will grow by 14 percent by 2020, according to Kentuckiana Works, Greater Louisville’s workforce investment board. A recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis noted that Louisville’s manufacturing employment is outpacing manufacturing growth in the nation.
“This partnership between SCTD and JCPS has the goal of assisting local industries in finding trained and certified welders,” Ernst said. “It’s a goal that will benefit the students, the employers and the overall economy of the region and the state and we are proud to join JCPS as part of this education and job training initiative.”
The first Welding Institute Track will focus on the following competencies and content areas:
- Demonstrate Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 safety practices
- Earn OSHA 10 safety certification
- Identify and define commonly used welding symbols
- Read and interpret welding symbols from a blueprint
- Demonstrate proper procedures for pre-heating and post-heating metals
- Identify the physical and mechanical properties of commonly used metals
- Demonstrate appropriate oxy-fuel cutting techniques
- Demonstrate appropriate preparation of metals for welding
- Perform simple bead and fillet welds
For more information and to enroll in the Welding Institute, visit sctd.edu/welding or contact Chris Ernst at (502) 456-6509 or via email at [email protected].
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