PLATTSBURGH — The aim of meeting a local workforce need was met when 12 members of the North Country Welding Academy graduated last Friday, as part of a partnership between Lincoln Electric and Clinton Community College.
“Welding. What is welding? Welding is in its essence the joining of various parts to create a new whole. and this program is a perfect example of that,” North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said at the welding graduation ceremony at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing on the campus of CCC.
“It brought together so many parts in order to do the programs.”
SERVING THE REGION
Looking at the need for more welders to serve the many manufacturing businesses in the region, the chamber secured $285,600 in funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission in 2022 to conduct welding training in the greater-Plattsburgh area.
The goal of the program is to train 50 welders, and with the latest graduating cohort, they have reached 36 welders.
“I’m proud to say that we’re nearly 75 percent of the way to that goal. We take 36 welders into our community after today,” Joel Wood, chamber Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, said.
The training program has received an additional $200,000 in funding, equipment and supplies from various agencies and organizations such as Empire State Development’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development, the Workforce Development Institute, Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) and local private employers.
“Several years ago, I spoke to Joel Wood from the chamber when I was working for Alstom, and we were trying to figure out ‘how do we get more welders.’ We needed more welders, and we started spitballing ideas,” Padriac Bean, Weld Process Consultant for Lincoln Electric said.
“And with the help of the Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Borders Regional Commission, assemblyman Billy Jones and a whole list of others… You know, Alstom, for freeing up another instructor, Keegan Hartman, who is loving it here, Chuck Taylor coming in to help us as another instructor. We called in instructors from a pretty wide group of experience and knowledge to try to deliver as high quality training to the small participants as we could.”
STRANGERS TO WELDERS
Participating students do not need to pay anything to participate as all costs are covered, and students are also offered support services including stipends, transportation, and childcare assistance.
The graduation ceremony took place on the second floor of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, which is where the students spent several weeks learning everything they needed to know about welding.
The participants also learned:
• Welding Safety and Symbolization
• Measurements for Fabrication
• Reading shop drawings/blueprints
• MIG Welding on carbon and stainless steel
• FCAW on carbon steel
• Welding inspection and equipment troubleshooting
“So three weeks ago, I stood in front of a classroom of strangers, strangers to me and strangers to one another. They all came from different backgrounds, different circumstances, some have welding experience, but most didn’t. and all were taking this training for very different reasons. I know that because I talked to them all,” Wood said
“And now I look around this room, and I see not only 12 proud welders, but I see 12 friends. That’s really important. and I think you all see that as well.”
‘IT FEELS AMAZING’
Training ran for three weeks, Monday through Friday, from April 8 through April 26, totaling 120 hours of instruction and shop experience.
Some students started the program with no prior welding experience or knowledge, now they are ready to enter the welding work force.
“In two weeks, we had a number of students go from having zero welding experience, to passing code quality weld tests, in just two weeks time,” Bean said.
Using a combination of classroom and hands-on training, in the “shop,” the course teaches interested individuals the basics of Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW).
“It feels amazing,” Brett Hughes, a graduate, said.
Hughes went into the program with zero prior welding experience. The thing he said he’ll miss the most about being a part of this group is the comradery.
Welding has been a big part of Hughes’ life as some of his relatives have been welding since he can remember.
A fun part for him was the feeling when he first submitted a passing weld.
“I cannot thank the instructors enough,” he said.
The next cohort will begin their training in the fall.