Waubonsee Community College recognized the Welding Technology Program at its December board meeting for its success in creating a highly-skilled workforce amid a shortage of skilled workers in Illinois.
The college’s Welding Technology Program received recognition for its goal in seeking to become an American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Test Facility (ATF). Earning the ATF designation will position the Welding Technology Program to meet regional employment demands for a qualified and credentialed workforce in welding or welding-related jobs throughout the region and across the state.
Waubonsee’s newly renovated Plano Campus offers students who desire to enter the welding field or upskill the opportunity to receive hands-on training in some of the industry’s most in-demand welding processes and techniques, including oxy-fuel, shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, flux colored arc, and gas tungsten arc.
The program also offers students the opportunity to stand out competitively by earning an Advanced Welding certificate in the major welding processes, fabrication, design, and pipe welding and an Associate in Applied Science in Welding Technology. Students in the program benefit from learning and interacting with faculty who bring extensive field knowledge into the classroom and have personal and professional connections to welding industry experts.
In March of this year, Waubonsee was one of nine colleges to receive the competitive AWS Welding Workforce Grant for $22,500. Through this grant, Waubonsee continues to improve the quality and training capacity of its Welding Technology Program by seeking the AWS ATF designation. The AWS ATF Welder Certification will enable students to carry their credentials from employer to employer across the U.S. without the need to retest.
Current national labor market data projects that, on average, 49,200 welding jobs will be available annually over the next decade and regional compensation is 11% higher than the national median wage. As the demand for skilled welders grows, Waubonsee helps students receive proper training from industry experts to master in-demand skills and earn credentials necessary to stand out competitively in the field. Learn more about Waubonsee’s Welding Technology Program at www.waubonsee.edu/welding.
