Welding

How long will it take?

What are the facilities like?

How much will it cost?

Why welding?

Career Opportunities.

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Salt Lake Community College has offered the Welding Program for over 50 years! That’s a lot of experience going into your education and hands-on training. We have a large well maintained welding facility with a variety of different welding machines and space for welding and fabrication. SLCC students have won state and national vocational awards in welding competitions.

The Welding program teaches all common welding, acetylene and inert gas welding techniques. Graduate welders are capable of welding ferrous and non-ferrous metals in all positions and can operate shears, rolls, drills and brakes. Graduates are competent in layout, cutting and forming metals and determining which electrodes and filler metals should be used. Welders work from blueprints and written procedures, which is why SLCC has included general education requirements in the Welding program.

     •   Do you have good hand/eye coordination?
     •   Do you have a common sense for assembling things?
     •   Do you like to work with your hands?
     •   Do you get satisfaction from putting things together?
     •   Do you like to see projects from start to finish?
     •   Do you love to build things?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, an education and career in Welding could be for you. Talk to our Career and Technical Education Academic Advisor today (801)957-4550.

    •   SMAW - stick welding, all position plate and pipe (certification available)
    •  OAW - all position oxyacetylene welding, cutting and plasma cutting.
    •  GMAW - all position wire feed welding
    •  FCAW - flux cored arc welding (certification available)
    •  GTAW - all position TIG welding Ferrous and non-ferrous metals       
    •  SAW - submerged arc welding, blueprint reading, fabrication and layout

We provide training in the use of a variety of shop equipment:
    •  shears
    •  band saw
    •  drill press
    •  brake
    •  NC plamsa cutter
    •  track cutter

SLCC has state-of-the-art equipment and training for people interested in quality education in the area of welding.    

  To see detailed descriptions of welding courses, click here.

Students can either obtain an AAS Degree or Diploma in welding. The cost of the program, is the regular tuition schedule, plus books. Click here to see the tuition schedule. The cost to complete is about $5,400 books & tuition.

Associate of Applied Science Degree in Welding
The AAS Welding degree requires a minimum of 70 hours. If students follow a schedule similar to the sample schedule shown below, the AAS degree can be completed in 4 semesters (about 2 years).

Diploma of Welding
The Welding Diploma requires a minimum of 65 hours. If students follow a schedule similar to the sample schedule shown below, the Diploma can be completed in 4 semesters (about 2 1/2 years).

Right now, there is a need for 2,200 welders in Utah, and a need for 200,000 across the nation. There are 5 open jobs to every candidate in welding. SLCC’s welding students are many times offered a welding position before they finish the program. The college prides itself in assisting students find successful careers upon graduation.

SLCC welding graduates will be prepared to find careers such as:

     •    Fabricator/Welder: $19.00 - $24.00/hr
     •    Pipe Welders: $20.00-$50.00/hr
    

Businesses will test graduates’ skills to determine what their pay should be. Because of the shortage of welders, opportunities for overtime is common, which means you can earn even more pay!

SLCC’s welding lab is located on the Redwood Campus in the Applied Technology Building. With over 70 welding machines, each student has access to some kind of welding equipment at any given time. The Welding lab contains equipment to practice all phases and facets of welding that is necessary for a successful career in welding. Whatever the welding industry requires, SLCC has the equipment for your training.

     •    You make more money than a business grad on average.
     •    It takes half the time and money to receive a degree in welding.
     •   You have a much greater chance of finding a job quickly versus with a business degree,
          welders are in great demand and there is a huge shortage of qualified candidates.
                                                        *Research and statistics were gathered by Aerotek.

Click here to read more about the possibilities of a career in welding, written by the American Welding Society.