Pellissippi State launches Welding Technology program

This fall, Pellissippi State Community College announces its newest academic offering Welding Technology, an Associate of Applied Science degree program.

Welding Technology will train students to weld in gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc, shielded metal arc, flux core welding and plate and pipe welding. The program is aligned with guidelines from the American Welding Society and the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

Graduates from the program could find career opportunities as welder fabricators, welding inspectors, pipe fitters and welding educators. Welding Technology classes are currently being offered at Pellissippi States Hardin Valley and Strawberry Plains campuses.

Employers in our area need skilled employees who have a level of expertise in welding and engineering technology skills that an associate degree provides, said Ted Lewis, vice president of Academic Affairs at Pellissippi State.

Graduates from this program will have attained blueprint reading, pattern development, non-destructive testing, metallurgy, math and communication skills. Theyll have the knowledge needed to communicate with welding engineers and the design team. They will be capable of stepping into supervisory or management roles, he added.

The Welding Technology program also will offer a collaborative partnership with Knox County Schools Byington-Solway Career and Technical Education Center, which serves students from Karns and Powell high schools and Hardin Valley Academy. The welding lab at Byington-Solway will be a shared resource used during the day by high school students and in the evenings by Pellissippi State students.

One goal of this high school partnership is to create a seamless pathway from Byington-Solway into Pellissippi States Welding Technology program, allowing students to earn their Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology only one year after graduating from high school. In addition, plans are in the works for Byington-Solway to become an American Welding Society Accredited Test Facility.

Atthe Strawberry Plains Campus, Pellissippi State and TCAT-Knoxville will pursue a similar partnership, sharing space and welding equipment for both institutions students in the Pellissippi State Megalab.

For more information about Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.

Download this press release:Welding Technology