BLINN SEEKS WELDING, PLUMBING AND CARPENTRY INSTRUCTORS

  

Blinn College seeks experienced welders, plumbers, and carpenters to serve as part-time instructors and train the next generation of local trades professionals.

“We are desperate for instructors,” said Dickie Jones, Associate of Applied Science Welding Instructor. “The welding degree program is really starting to grow, and non-credit courses are always growing. If I had another instructor, I probably would be offering another course right now.”

Blinn seeks welders with a high school degree, at least five years of experience, and prefers candidates with an associate degree in welding. To learn more about instruction opportunities or to enroll in future welding courses, contact Jones at dickie.jones@blinn.edu.

According to ongoing research by the national Business Roundtable, Construction Users Roundtable, and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), there is demand for more than 181,000 welders in the United States.

To meet that demand, Blinn College offers a 60-credit hour Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in welding technology with national recognition from NCCER, whose curriculum Jones helped develop. All welding processes are taught in accordance with welding codes established by the American Welding Society (AWS). Approximately 20 percent of the program is spent in the classroom, with the remaining 80 percent spent in hands-on instruction.

The AAS degree plan includes courses in oxy-fuel welding and cutting, shielded metal arc (stick) welding, gas metal arc (MIG) welding, gas tungsten arc (TIG) welding, and pipe welding. The program also includes a welding internship in partnership with local companies. Students who complete the welding AAS degree graduate with 1,776 hours of specialized instruction, and meet the national standards set by NCCER and the AWS.

On their way to a degree, Blinn students can earn Level I and II certificates and an occupational skills award. For students interested in non-credit welding training opportunities, Blinn offers courses in shielded arc metal, gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc, and pipe welding.

Welders often earn between $20 and $25 per hour, and with plenty of overtime opportunities available, skilled workers can earn between $70,000 and $80,000 per year.

“We are filling our welding classes both day and night, in Bryan and in Brenham,” Jones said. “We have an outstanding, nationally recognized curriculum in place, and the Brazos Valley is in a region with a high demand for skilled welders. The environment is perfect for Blinn to expand its training capacity.”

Blinn’s plumbing and carpentry programs are designed following NCCER curriculum. Students who complete these courses earn the Occupational Safety & Health Administration 10-Hour Construction Certificate; the NCCER Core Construction Certificate; the NCCER Level I Certificate for plumbing or carpentry; the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service/RELLIS Certificate of Completion; and the Blinn College Certificate of Completion.

Candidates to serve as plumbing instructors should have at least a high school diploma, three years of professional experience, and their state plumbing license.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national demand for plumbers is expected to grow 12 percent between 2014 and 2024, generating 49,100 additional jobs with a median pay of $50,620 per year. Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley anticipates 17 percent growth locally during that same span, with an hourly salary range between $12.17 and $21.27.

Carpentry instructor candidates need at least a high school diploma, three years of experience in all phases of home building, experience training new carpenters in home building, and must be able to read a blueprint and set a work plan.

The national demand for carpenters is expected to grow 6 percent between 2014 and 2024, generating 60,400 jobs nation-wide with a median pay of $42,090 per year. Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley anticipates 14.5 percent growth locally during that same span, with an hourly wage between $11.65 and $18.

To learn more about welding or carpentry instruction opportunities, or to enroll in Blinn’s carpentry or plumbing courses, contact Director of Technical and Community Programs Ken Dupre at ken.dupre@blinn.edu or 979-209-7560.

(Story courtesy: Richard Bray, Blinn College)