Welding grant helps Wallace College expand training

A new state grant will help Wallace Community College continue to train workers in welding, a career field that appears to be almost recession proof, according to school officials.

State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, presented a check for $90,000 to the college on Tuesday. The money will be used to purchase more equipment for the program, which has rapidly grown in enrollment since the onset of the recession. Smith secured the grant from a workforce development program.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, welding, soldering and brazing jobs employed 462,000 people in 2006, with the vast majority of those jobs being in manufacturing. Demand for employees is expected to grow about 5 percent nationally through 2016.

According to state studies, the welding workforce will increase 2.13 percent annually through the next decade, largely due to the influx of automobile manufacturing plants in Alabama. Sally Buchanan, a Wallace spokesperson, said local demand is expected to increase at 2.71 percent, slightly above the state average. Some area employers requiring these skills include Michelin, NYPRO, Perdue, Sara Lee Bakery plants, Southeastern Sheet Metal, Farley
Nuclear Plant, Covenant Steel, and Outdoor Aluminum.

This increased demand for welders hits at a time when the average age of welders is 54, said Dewey Lee, a Wallace welding instructor. Lee said students who complete the certified pipe welding program at Wallace can expect to find entry-level work at $15 to $25 per hour.

Lee said that since the recession hit, his classes have been filled with students seeking a new career. Lee said his classes used to have about 20 students, but now he teaches 40.

“I don’t know where they’re coming from,” he said.

J.T. Harper, 21, enrolled in the program after being laid off from a job roughnecking on an oil rig. Harper said he hopes his training will open up new opportunities in offshore and other work.

“It’s something that always interested me and I decided to go for it while I had the chance,” he said.

Jo Ann Jordan, 42, also enrolled in the program after losing a job. Jordan said she’s confident she’ll be able to find work after completing the program.

“I love welding,” she said.