A young welder is building on her successes along her path to technical college,
industrial welding, and a hopeful career in her own welding shop. The Clarkston News reports:
“Michelle Vought is lighting the path to her future with a welding torch. The
Oxford High School senior’s prowess with fire and metal helped her and her
fellow students from Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) Northeast in
Pontiac earn a first-place award for a child’s pedal car they created as part of
the Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pedal Car Challenge. ‘I did the welding on the frame and some of the welding on the body,’ said Vought, who’s a student in Auto
Technology 3 (the advanced class) at OHS.”
The welding industry is on the go with new training opportunities and job
openings this week. Here’s the weekly round-up of welding news:
Welding Industry
Welding Company Scrambles to Meet Demand: “A local welding
company is enjoying a growth spurt thanks to some innovative thinking and a
niche market that has become popular with several groups. The production of
steel benches, donated to civic entities and funded by advertising dollars,
started out as an activity to fill slow time between commercial welding jobs for
JLB Welding, but has quickly evolved into much more.
“It has practically become a business in itself,” said JLB Welding owner
Jeremy Bain. Bain was the lone employee of the welding shop a year ago and has
since hired two welders, an office assistant and most recently a sales
representative.”
Lincoln Electric Adds Welding Brushes to Its Product Line: Lincoln Electric now offers a line of high-quality Welding Brushes in the new Radius™ Welding Tools product group, a part of the company’s comprehensive line of Welding Gear. The expanding Welding Gear line offers welding operators,
schools or employers a single source for all of their apparel and tool
needs.
Welding Jobs
The Rochester Home Page reports About Veterans Transitioning to
Welding Careers: “The Veterans Outreach Center’s new program is helping
veterans take the experience they have and earn certification to land high
paying jobs in a tough economy.
“Dan Cummings was in the Navy for five years including two tours in Iraq.
Now, he’s back in boot camp in the Rochester School District, ‘we’re not getting
yelled at, it’s not early in the morning, and our lives aren’t being completely
controlled,’ explained Cummings, ‘so it’s just more so learning, which is a big
part of boot camp.'”
Welding Jobs Are on Their Way in Alabama: “President of Mobile
Works Sydney Raine stated the Alabama Career Center not only provides a resource center for those looking for work, but it has partnered with businesses and local colleges to train individuals on welding, health care, and of course
Aerospace industries. Raine stated, ‘We presently are funding about 90 young
people in class now at Enterprise learning the various trades as it relates to
the aerospace industry.'”
Welding Education
Marion Students Dominate Welding Competition in Kansas: “Marion High School dominated a metal inert gas welding competition Friday at
North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit. Aaron Molleker, Clint Kroupa
and Patrick McCarty swept first through third places respectively, and the
overall team won first place in the invitational, sponsored by the Kansas
Welding Institute.”
Iowa Lakes Welding Program Benefits the Area: “The Trustees of
Iowa Lakes learned how area industries benefit from graduates of the college’s
welding program during their meeting Tuesday afternoon. Tom Brotherton,
executive dean of the Emmetsburg campus, introduced the welding program
assistant professor Steve Farnsworth, along with the welding lab assistant,
Emily Gottsche. Brotherton highlighted the strong enrollments in the program as
well as the need for qualified welders across the region.”
High School Girls Empowered Through Welding Program: “While
the students of Wisconsin’s Indianhead Technical College are on Spring Break,
some high school girls are taking over their welding shop. The high school
students are from Denfeld High and are in the ‘Girls Restorative Program,’ which
is ultimately part of ‘Men as Peacekeepers.’
“The after-school program is about building resiliency and fostering community
among young women. As part of their program, the girls are learning the basics
of welding at WITC in Superior. Holding a torch to steel isn’t something any of
the girls thought they’d ever do.”
Welding Events
AWS Codes and Standards Conference: “An AWS conference all about Codes and Standards is scheduled for July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.
“Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to
manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take
a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors,
and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge.”
Welding Noteworthy
Welder Replaces Finger: After losing his finger in an
accident, “[Colin] Macduff emerged from his shop one day with an odd looking
contraption made using pieces of a bike’s handlebars. It took him eight hours of
cutting, grinding and welding to get the first bio-mechanical finger. ‘It’s not
designed to make a tight fist, it’s designed to grab a tool,’ he said.
With just three moving parts, the design was awarded a U.S. patent and
Macduff is now fitting other amputees.”
