Welding Journal - April 2012 - (Page 33)

Community College Welding Program Update Community colleges and industrial leaders combine forces to develop training programs that will attract and educate the skilled workforce of the future A nyone connected with the manufacturing sector knows these cold hard facts: we need more people, we need more investment in training, and we need it now. In a world where skilled labor shortages are rising, the investment and need to train new skilled workers is at an all-time high. The percentage of companies having trouble filling positions due to a shortage of skilled workers has risen to its highest level since the global economic downturn began in 2008. In 2011, one in three employers around the world (34%) reported having trouble filling jobs due to a lack of available talent, according to ManpowerGroup’s sixth annual Talent ShortageSurvey. In the United States, the shortage is even more alarming, with more than half of employers (52%) unable to find the workers they need. Topping the list of the ten most difficult jobs to fill in the U.S. was skilled trade workers — a category that includes welders, fabricators, and metalworkers. A bright spot, however, in this otherwise troubling picture is the work being done by community colleges around the country to equip future workers with the skills they need to succeed in the competitive 21st century economy. “A core mission of many community colleges is to provide career technical education,” explained Kristin Houser, divi- sion dean of College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., where welding has been a cornerstone of the school’s career technical education program for more than 30 years. “These programs offer the training needed for sophisticated, highpaying jobs.” At the core of these innovative training programs at community colleges nationwide are strong partnerships with companies in the manufacturing sector. Companies have begun to work closely with the colleges to provide feedback on curriculum programs, education-focused equipment and more to attract young students to the skilled trades. Attracting and Retaining Students Since the recession began, the American Association of Community Colleges reports that community college enrollment has surged, increasing 25% in just the two-year time period between 2007 and 2009. “When the economy goes down, the number of students goes up,” said Denny Morse, dean of the Technical Careers Division of Lansing Community College, Lansing, Mich., which boasts a 9000-sqft welding lab that serves as headquarters for the school’s one-year certification and two-year associate degree programs — Fig. 1. WELDING JOURNAL 33

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Welding Journal - April 2012

April 2012 - TOC Listing
Unlocking Your Gas Metal Arc Welding Potential - A study sponsored by the National Shipbuilding Research Program investigated low-cost modifications to equipment or parameters that improved welding performance - P. A. Blomquist
Community College Welding Program Update - Many community colleges around the country are equipping future workers with the skills manufacturers need D. Postlethwaite
Modern Power Source Technology Drives Process Improvement - New technology in weld monitoring is making it easier to access the data by all the appropriate personnel and understand how it should be applied to benefit weld quality - T. McEllis
Building a Welding Career from the Ground Up - A thirty-two-year career welder shares her passion for the profession with others in hopes of inspiring them to expand their skills and knowledge
How Today’s Power Sources Aid Pulsed GMAW - The advanced welding machines of today can deliver power to the arc in almost any form and can react with split-second timing to avoid adverse arc phenomena - L. Barley
Fiber Lasers Perform Precision Cutting for Medical Devices - There are many methods to cut thin tubular structures often used in medical devices, but fiber lasers are emerging as the precision machines of choice
Arc Characteristics in Pulsed-GMA Welding with Acute - Groove Angles The characteristics of a joint tracking sensor were monitored under conditions of different groove angles and root openings - R-H. Kim et al.
Design of Experiment and Goal Programming Application for the GMAW Process - This study was conducted to determine critical gas metal arc welding variables and ways to optimize them - Y. T. Iç et al.
Predictive and Measurement Methods for Delta Ferrite Determination in Stainless Steels - The advantages and limitations of predictive measurement methods for δ ferrite are outlined - M. A. Valiente Bermejo
Susceptibility of IN740 to HAZ Liquation Cracking and Ductility-Dip Cracking - Conditions that lead to cracking susceptibility of nickel-based IN740 were simulated to determine an action for its prevention - J. E. Ramirez
Editorial
Washington Watchword
Press Time News
News of the Industry
Aluminum Q&A
Brazing Q&A
Product & Print Spotlight
Coming Events
Certification Schedule
Welding Workbook
Society News
Interpretations D1.1
Guide to AWS Services
Personnel
Welding School Profiles
Classifieds
Advertiser Index

Welding Journal - April 2012