Northern Tier Career Center holds informational meeting for its new welding program

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Published: December 28, 2009

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Submitted Photo Michelle Robbins, the instructor for the Northern Tier Career Center's welding program, poses for a photo with NTCC Student Facilitator Marty Kane, who wrote the grant for the program.

The American Welding Society estimates that as many welders reach retirement age, the industry is losing thousands of skilled welders every year and the deficit could be 400,000 potential jobs unfilled by 2014.

The Welding Technology Program at the Northern Tier Career Center, which is being developed with a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, will train welders locally.

Michelle Robbins, the welding instructor for the Northern Tier Career Center, gave an overview of the Welding Technology Program at an information meeting for prospective students.

She is well qualified as a welding instructor, with 18 years' experience as a journeyman sheet metal worker and six years teaching welding at BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services) in New York state. She also has a master's degree in education from New England University.

Robbins outlined the welding program, which has 450 hours of classes with an emphasis on safety, plasma cutting, stick, Mig and Tig welding and the options for students choosing to specialize in a particular area.

Upon completion of the course, students will take the NOCTI test (the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute). The level awarded depends on the student's skill. American Welding Society certification may also be achieved.

There was a tour of the prospective welding shop at the NTCC which will have 18 welding machines, all capable of stick, Mig and Tig Welding.

Total tuition and fees for the course is $5,275, which includes individual equipment, gloves, helmet, etc.

The registration period is from Jan. 4 through Jan. 18, and classes will start Jan. 25. Adults must have a current clearance, Act 34, Criminal Background Check or Act 151 PA Child Abuse History or Act 114 Federal Criminal History Record.

"Stick" welding or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), is the method used to weld most common metals and alloys.

"MIG" is Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). With MIG welding a solid metal wire is fed through a welding gun and becomes the filler material. Instead of a flux, a shielding gas is used to protect the molten puddle from the atmosphere, which results in a weld without slag.

TIG welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) TIG uses a nonconsumable electrode to make heat (amps), and a wire rod is fed into the weld pool.

This article was submitted by the Northern Tier Career Center.

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