Cleveland State Community College is hosting an Open House for its new Welding Lab on Thursday, May 12 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. in the Technology Building on the Main Campus.
“Employers have asked us to help them develop high quality certified welders so they can grow their businesses,” stated Dr. Denise King, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We've hired new faculty with expertise in Welding instruction, and thanks to the help from a number of partners, are ready to open this newly designed Welding lab. The doors are now open. We are ready to offer training beginning immediately.”
Although CSCC has offered welding courses for many years, a newly proposed welding certificate packaging these welding technology courses along with other pertinent industrial technology courses designed to match industry needs will provide students with skills needed in today’s job market. The establishment of a new state-of-the-art welding lab on the main campus will allow Cleveland State to offer day, afternoon and evening welding courses. Cleveland State has been utilizing two high schools over the years for an evening welding program and will continue to use those sites in addition to the on-campus facility. This welding lab was established in response to industry demand for qualified, educated and skilled welders.
“The opening of our new Cleveland State Community College Welding Technology Lab is very exciting to our faculty and students,” stated Technology Instructor Jonathan King. “The ‘hands-on’ training and certifications that we will be able to offer our students and industry partners will help fill the gap for much needed welding skills in our service area and community. The new Welding Lab has already opened up a wide variety of dual credit and dual enrollment agreements, as well as additional opportunities for industry training through OneSource.”
CSCC plans to offer welding and technology courses at the main campus, as well as Sequoyah High School and CSCC’s new Monroe County Center in Vonore. With these offerings, CSCC will have these courses available to students at both ends of the CSCC service area.
“We believe by packaging the courses as a certificate, industry will recognize our graduates as being equipped to perform jobs in high demand,” stated Susan Webb-Curtis, Dean of Business and Technology. “A number of industries throughout our service area have been very pro-active in our development of the welding lab, serving in an advisory capacity, writing support letters and providing donated materials and equipment. We believe these industries will also drive their multi-craft technicians toward these classes and certificate.”
In addition to the credit courses in welding, CSCC is also offering non-credit courses. Introduction to Welding, Basic Welding and Advanced Welding will all be available to students as non-credit opportunities.
For more information on the Open House or the credit opportunities in welding, contact Kathy Stutzman at (423) 473-2439. For more information on non-credit opportunities, contact Lee Ann Lowe, Continuing Education Coordinator, at (423) 473-2270.