- April 26, 2024
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Prospective welders now have more class options due to Daytona State College expanding its welding program after an increase in demand for skilled welders.
Beginning Aug. 28, for the 2017 fall semester, the college will be offering daytime welding courses, where students will earn an industry-recognized certificate in welding technology once the classes are completed and passed. Registration for the fall semester is currently open. The full-time course schedule will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Previously, the college had only offered evening classes to students seeking a career in welding. The welding program, which consists of two semesters, is designed to help provide students with the knowledge and experience needed to become professional metalworkers. According to DSC, fall evening welding classes have already been filled.
Courses cover topics such as shielded metal, arc welding, gas tungsten, gas metal and blueprint reading, among others.
“There is a great need for skilled and certified welders in our region and across the nation,” DSC welding instructor Timothy Colburn said in a press release. Colburn, who has 40 years of experience in commercial welding, noted that experienced welders can earn six figures.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is expected to be an 8.4 % rise in demand for welding-related jobs in Florida by 2018. By 2024, the BLS has projected that number to increase by 17.6 %. The 2016 median pay for a job in the welding field averages around $19 per hour.
Companies such as Thompson Pump and Manufacturing rely on the welding workforce to produce their products. Victor Nadeau, human resource director for Thompson Pump and Manufacturing, said welders with the company weld and manufacture the base, which functions as a frame or skid, that the the pumps sit on.
“It’s extremely important that we have skilled labor,” Nadeau said. “It is extremely important that we get people that have the background where they’ve learned how to weld but that have learned how to read blueprints as well.”
Those blueprints come into play while looking for new welders at Thompson Pump. Nadeau said during the hiring process they have applicants review blueprints to show they understand them. Additionally, prospective employees have to complete a welding test where they are required to weld parts to a lock frame to determine their ability and make sure they are measuring accurately while following the instructions test itself.
Nadeau said the company is currently hiring for one welding position.
All welding classes are held on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. For more information contact [email protected], call admissions at 386-506-3059 or visit DaytonaState.edu.
