ARCHDALE — A high school senior project that included welding sparked Lee Raines’ interest in pursuing a career in the field.
The 19-year-old’s timing was right. In September, he enrolled in Randolph Community College’s new diploma program in welding.
The college has offered continuing education courses in welding for several years, but after market research unearthed a need for competent welders in the local manufacturing and building industries, the decision was made to launch a one-year diploma curriculum.
“There’s a huge need for qualified welders,” said Garret Parker, head of the school’s machining and welding program.
RCC received a grant of $248,000 from Duke Energy to buy state-of-the-art equipment and renovate a building for the program at its Archdale campus.
Parker is particularly excited about the welding simulator, which lets current and prospective students get a feel for welding in a safe environment. Similar to a video game, it offers virtual 3-D simulation of the welding process.
“It’s got noise; it’s very realistic,” Parker said. “It’s not the real thing, but it’s close enough so that if somebody is remotely interested in welding, they can get a feel of what it is like.”
But the simulator is more than just an introduction to welding.
“The neat thing about it is that it actually grades the person,” Parker said. “It will show you what you did wrong, your speed, the wire feed, everything you do correctly or what needs improvement. The students love it.”
So far enrollment in the welding diploma program is small. Six students signed up for the first semester, and four are currently enrolled. But there’s plenty of room for growth. The welding building has 27 machines and booths for 20 students. Each booth is equipped with a filtration system that removes dust, dirt, smoke and fumes. And the machines are versatile. The welding arms on each machine can be configured for any type of welding.
“So if we had a class that wanted to do specific MIG (metal inert gas) welding, we could configure all 20 booths to be MIG welders,” Parker said. “If they wanted to do stick welding, we could configure all 20 booths for that. Or we could set them up in a variety of ways depending on what the students are doing at the time.”
Students are required to take classes in cutting processes, plate and pipe welding and fabrication. Also required are applied communications — to ensure graduates communicate well with customers — basic math, blueprint reading and metallurgy. Students take courses for a full calendar year.
Graduates of the program can work in many environments, from metalworking industries to construction, and even NASCAR.
The median pay for welders in the Greensboro-High Point metro area was $38,100 in 2010, according to the most recent data available from the labor department. But Parker says skilled welders who are willing to travel can make much more.
“The opportunities are out there,” Parker said. “We’re just looking to get students in here.”
One local manufacturer came to campus to talk to students recently, and Parker took students on a field trip to their facility. The starting pay at the company, he said, was about $18 an hour.
“They had a really high demand,” Parker said. “They were looking for folks.”
Raines, a graduate of Southwestern Randolph High School, has proof that jobs are out there. The Asheboro resident says he had two job offers before he had even finished his first semester in the welding program.
He likes everything about the curriculum. It’s hard work, he says, but the small number of students means more individual attention from teachers. He’d recommend the program to others.
“If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty and try new things, it’s great.”
