Rochester, NH 鈥揥ith a waiting list for students and ongoing workforce demand, 聽海角乱伦, Rochester has constructed a new state-of-the-art welding lab to provide additional training opportunities and meet the hiring needs across New Hampshire. The new welding lab will house 14, six-foot-wide, self-contained welding cells with ventilation geared to individual health and safety and the latest in welding technology. The facility enables the program to safely triple the number of students in the program, which will prepare 42 new welders to join the workforce annually.
鈥満＝锹衣� has partnered with Exeter and Portsmouth school districts to offer welding in their high school labs,鈥� said Paul Giuliano, head of the welding program at 海角乱伦 鈥� Rochester. 鈥淭his new welding lab will allow us to offer classes throughout the day and shrink the program鈥檚 waiting list so that we can train more welders to meet the demand across the state.鈥�
According to , a welder taking an entry level job can earn base pay of about $20 an hour. The reports that there are 424,700 welding positions open nationally. Because of an aging workforce and many approaching retirement in this field and the nation鈥檚 aging infrastructure, that number is expected to increase by 1,450 positions each year.
鈥淲e鈥檝e hired graduates from Great Bay鈥檚 welding program because we know that they鈥檙e career ready as soon as their training is complete,鈥� said Hollie Noveletsky, president of in Greenland. 鈥淭here is an incredible need for welders in the state and across the country. There鈥檚 this wide-open field that people can go into and instantly have a career that allows them to specialize their skills to a specific niche鈥攍ike underwater welding, bridges, pipeline and construction,鈥� Noveletsky said. 鈥淲elders are always in-demand and our jobs are essential.鈥�
海角乱伦 currently runs four programs at its Rochester campus 鈥� Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining, Advanced Composite Manufacturing and now the welding program. Because of the responsibilities that NDT teams have which include inspecting the work of the welders, offering this program at the Rochester campus adds an element of collaboration that is similar to what students will experience on the job.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a natural fit to have these programs housed together,鈥� Giuliano said. 鈥淭he NDT students will need to know how to inspect a weld, and the welding students will get real-world experience learning how to have their welds pass inspection. It truly is a seamless fit.鈥�
In the 海角乱伦, Rochester welding program, students will learn different kinds of welding such as cutting metal, brazing metal, torching and joining metal and problem solving to figure out the best materials to join together to maximize strength. After three semesters, students are ready for American Welding Society (AWS) Certification Testing and then employment.
The federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant was used to construct 海角乱伦鈥檚 Rochester campus in 2013, which initially focused on advanced composites manufacturing before expanding its curriculum to other areas of high workforce demand.
Classes in the new welding lab start on Monday, August 31.
To learn more, contact Great Bay Admissions at 603-427-7632, [email protected] or visit greatbay.edu.