RCBI addresses shortage of
welders across Tri-State

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – In its ongoing efforts to enhance the pool of skilled workers available to industry, the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI) is joining forces with Cabell County Career Technology Center (CCCTC) to offer evening welding classes to the Tri-State Area. Under a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between RCBI and CCCTC, RCBI will supply the instructor and enroll students while CCCTC will provide equipment and facilities for the evening classes.

“RCBI is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Cabell County Career Technology Center so we can offer this sorely needed training,” said RCBI Director and CEO Charlotte Weber. “There is an identified shortage of welders -- not just in West Virginia but nationwide -- and we are continuing to work to prepare individuals with proper skills so they are positioned to earn state welding certification and join the work force.”

Director Brenda Tanner at CCCTC says that by extending the welding training into the evenings, more adults will be able to sign up for the training they need to enhance their career potentials.

Weber calls the evening training “a great opportunity for young people, displaced workers and anyone who wishes to expand his or her career opportunities.”

Employers continue to report difficulty finding properly skilled welders to hire, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.” Virtually all manufacturers and construction companies require welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair, so the field continues to thrive even in the current economic climate.

The first 16-week welding class will begin April 19 at CCCTC, located at 1035 Norway Ave., Huntington. The class, which will meet for four hours each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening, is a comprehensive one that includes both classroom instruction and hands-on training on the shop floor, with intensive student-instructor interaction.

“The best way to learn welding is to actually weld,” Weber said. “Our goal is to provide new welders with a firm foundation.”

The class can be taken independently to prepare the student to test for state certification in shielded metal arc welding or as part of RCBI’s comprehensive welding program that includes TIG (tungsten inert gas), MIG (metal inert gas) and Stick welding.

RCBI has a similar agreement to provide evening welding classes in Clarksburg at United Technical Center. The first class of 13 students in Clarksburg began its coursework the first week of January.

For more information or to register, contact RCBI’s Larry Cartmill at 304.781.1678, 800.469.RCBI (7224) or send an e-mail to register@rcbi.org. Enrollment is limited. Financial assistance is available to individuals who qualify.

RCBI is known for providing access to technical training and cutting edge technology to manufacturers across the state and region. Operating Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers in Huntington, Charleston, Bridgeport and Rocket Center (near Keyser in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle), its mission includes developing a quality, just-in-time supplier base for the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the commercial sector.