Welding Technology

According to the American Welding Society (AWS), welders, cutters and welding machine operators held about 453,000 jobs in 1996. Of those, nearly two out of five welders were employed in six states: Texas, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois. All are states heavily dominated by automobile and fabricated metals products manufacturing or by the petroleum and chemical industry. Columbia College’s Welding Technology program offers instruction in Oxy/Ace, ARC, and MIG/TIG welding. The program also offers a metal sculpture class that affords students a unique opportunity to explore creative metal artwork while learning bi-metal welding techniques. A Certificate of Achievement is awarded to students who successfully completes the prescribed 12 units of coursework. Each year in April the AWS welding certification course is offered. Once students complete the course a certification exam is given. Upon successful completion of this exam the student becomes eligible for higher-level jobs in the industry. A new $3.5 million dollar welding and auto body facility is being planned and should be complete in the fall of 2008. These funds were provided by the Measure E bond. The Welding Technology program is guided by an advisory committee made up of industry, consumers, students, and educators. The committee meets at least once per year to review the program and recommend needed changes to curriculum and equipment inventories.
Faculty Mac Frost Mike Mahr
Welding Courses
Columbia College Welding Technology Facilities
Advisory Committee
Erik Andal, Coordinator andale@yosemite.cc.ca.us 209.588.5200	Merlin Bart, Lab Technician mailto:bartm@yosemite.cc.ca.us 2090.588.5159