First class graduates GFCMSU accelerated structural welding class
Eight students graduated Sept. 7 at Great Falls College from the first accelerated structural welding class.
The class came about as a partnership with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Great Falls College, ADF International, Allied Steel, and Montana Vocational Rehab to equip individuals with essential skills and qualifications to build careers in the critical welding industry.
Upon completion, students are eligible to test for welding qualifications and the first class is awaiting their results.
The effort was spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Industry’s business engagement team, which partners with private-sector industry and educational institutions to address critical gaps in the state’s workforce, according to a release.
Demand is rising in the Montana welding industry for skilled professionals and the course is “serving as a model for how cross-functional partnerships between state agencies, private-sector employers, and educators can help bridge the skills gap and empower Montanans to pursue rewarding careers in dynamic fields,” according to a release.
DLI projects that Montana will need 220 new welders every year in the next three to five years, according to Sarah Swanson, Montana Department of Labor commissioner.
The jobs average $50,000 annually or more, according to DLI.
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“It allows individuals opportunities they may not be aware are available to them,” Trevor Floerchinger, ADF production manager, said in a release. “The program is designed to take an individual with little to no skill set or experience and set them up to be able to step into a production welding facility and go to work, at more than an entry-level position. Many of the students already have been offered jobs.”
“They have taught me a heck of a lot in the six weeks,” Kala Pedersen, said in a release. “It really caught my attention that it would take just six weeks and prepare me for career and not just a job.”
Pedersen is a single mom to a six-year-old boy and initially hesitated to enroll in the program because it’s four hours a night. She decided she could make it work for the short duration and long-term prospect of supporting her family, according to a release.
Pedersensaid there are possibilities to find tuition assistance for those who can’t afford the $3,000 registration fee.
A second cohort is scheduled for Oct. 2 through Nov. 9 and is already full.
A third cohort in January 2024 is nearly full. Those interested in signing up or learning more should contact Great Falls College’s Continuing Education and Training at 406-268-3734.
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