Welding Blasts Stereotypes

“It’s low-paying work with no versatility.”

“It’s dirty, hard work with no opportunity for advancement.”

These are stereotypes about the welding industry that just aren’t true anymore. It’s this kind of mindset that instructors at North Idaho College’s Welding Technology program hope to change.

“It’s a great trade to get into, with steady employment,” said Tim Straw, welding instructor. He has 20 years of industry experience and has been teaching at NIC for nine years. “There’s a kind of stigma that it’s dirty work, but it’s time for people to take a serious look at how many people are gainfully employed doing this.”

Upon completing the first-year Welding Technology program, students are qualified for entry-level employment in the welding fields. Students can go on to earn an advanced technical certificate or an associate’s degree. The program complies with national standards established by the American Welding Society.

On average, welders earn about $16.78 per hour. Welding is a versatile field, with many types of job opportunities, Straw said.

“There are lots of facets to welding, lots of things you can do, from building a high-rise to working on car parts,” he said. “Welding is everywhere.”

NIC’s welding program combines theory and applied shop practice to develop skills. Students in the welding program have also worked on various projects for the community, including making bike racks for the police department, the North Idaho College campus and the Post Falls Library, among other projects. These kinds of public projects give welding students practical experience and provide a useful service for the community.

“It’s a word of mouth thing that’s kind of grown,” Straw said. “We’re always looking for projects that help students learn and help support the community, as well.”

The welding program is one of several NIC programs that will soon have a new home in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Facility in Rathdrum. Programs slated to move are scattered among regional facilities both on and off campus; the new facility will bring them together.

The CTE Facility will be constructed with $15 million in capital reserve funds set aside by the NIC Board of Trustees, without raising taxes. A capital campaign is underway to raise another $5 million to pay for equipment, scholarships and the funding necessary to sustain equipment needs. Construction is projected to be completed next summer, in time for the start of Fall Semester 2016.

For information on NIC’s Welding Technology program, call 208.769.3468 or visit www.nic.edu/tech.

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