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Welding Technology

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INTRODUCTION

Welding is a highly skilled trade that provides job opportunities in Southside Virginia and across the country. Many businesses and industries in the Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) area employ welders and the demand for welders with basic welding skills is expected to continue to grow due to new business growth and the retirement of welders in existing businesses. 

Welding skills are used in many fields and professions including:

Programs

Southside Virginia Community College offers two certificates in welding, the Career Studies Certificate and Advanced Certificate.

 career studies certificate (CSC)

The SVCC Career Studies Certificate Program is designed to prepare students for entry level welding certification testing. Consisting of 17 credit hours, the program follows the guidelines developed by the American Welding Society. It is designed to teach basic welding and safety skills in such welding processes such as, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Stick), Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), and reading and interpretation of welding drawings.  Program participants will also have an opportunity to pursue more advanced techniques/projects of particular interest to them.  The Career Studies Certificate typically takes one year to complete taking evening courses.

Welding Career Studies Certificate (CSC)

Certificate PROGRAM

The SVCC Welding Certificate Program is designed to provide advanced welding skill training that will be useful in a broad range of industrial careers. This curriculum provides both hands-on training and a detailed knowledge base in the most prevalent welding and cutting processes used in industry today.  Students will also become proficient with metalworking tools used in manufacturing and fabrication, learn to read technical drawings, develop basic hand drafting skills, and train for welding certification tests in structural plate and pressure pipe. This Certificate typically takes two years to complete taking evening courses.

Welding Certificate Program

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

WEL 120 - Introduction to Welding (3 CR)
Introduces history of welding processes.  Covers types of equipment and assembly of units. Stresses welding procedures such as fusion, non-fusion, and cutting oxyacetylene. Introduces arc welding. Emphasizes procedures in the use of tools and equipment.

WEL 123 - Shielded Metal Arc Welding I (3-4CR)
Teaches operation of AC and DC power sources, welding polarities, heats and electrodes for use in joining various metal alloys in all positions by the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick) process. Begins training to pass AWS SMAW Structural Plate Certification Test

WEL 124 - Shielded Metal Arc Welding II (3-4CR)
Continues instruction on operation of AC and DC power sources, welding polarities, heats and electrodes for use in joining various metal alloys by the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick) process. Provides training to pass AWS SMAW Structural Plate Certification Test and open root plate welding (pre-pipe). Successful completion of WEL 123 required to enroll. 

WEL 130 - Inert Gas Welding (TIG) (3-4 CR)
Introduces practical operations in the uses of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding GTAW or TIG welding. Discusses equipment, safety operations, welding practice in the various positions, process applications.

WEL 150 - Welding Drawing and Interpretation (3 CR)
Teaches fundamentals required for successful drafting as applied to the welding industry. Includes blueprint reading, geometric principles of drafting and freehand sketching, basic  principles of orthographic projection, preparation of drawings and interpretation of symbols.  

WEL 160 - Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG) (3 CR)
Introduces practical operations in the uses of inert-gas- shield arc welding. Discusses equipment, safety operations, welding practice in the various positions, process applications, and manual and semi-automatic welding.

WEL 195 - Topics In (2-3 CR)
Provides the opportunity to prepare for national welding certification based on a student’s occupational interests or to explore special areas of interest.  Variable credit hours.

WEL 116 - Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Brazing (2 CR)
Teaches oxygen/acetylene welding, brazing and cutting including safety of equipment, welding, brazing and soldering procedures and cutting procedures.

WEL 126 - Pipe Welding I (3-CR)

Teaches Shielded Metal Arc Welding of pressure piping in all positions in accordance with section IX of the ASME code. Successful completion of WEL 124 required to enroll. 

WEL 138 - Pipe and Tube Welding (2 CR)

Develops entry level skills for the Gas Tungsten Arc welding process with emphasis on thin and thick wall carbon and stainless steel piping and tubing. Successful completion of WEL 130 required to enroll. 

MAC 131 - Welding Drawing and Interpretation (3 CR)

Teaches fundamental machine shop operations, bench work,layout, measuring tools, safety.

The three main welding processes taught at SVCC are:

INSTRUCTORS

• David Braun
David has a BS Architecture from the University of Virginia and an MFA in Artisanry from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  David has 12 years experience as a welding professional, is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector, AWS Certified Welding Educator, and holds multiple AWS structural steel welding certifications and ASME pipe welding certifications in steel and stainless steel. 
david.braun@southside.edu

• Jeff Grant
Grant has 34 years of welding experience and is employed by the American Buildings Company.  Trained in the U. S. Navy, he was certified by the Navy as a General Maintenance Welder, High Pressure Plate  and  Pipe Welder, Nuclear Power Components Welder and as a Submarine Repair Welder.  Grant currently holds certifications in AWS , 3G, SMAW, 7018 , Plate and  AWS, 1G , GMAW 70S3,  Plate.

• Mike Raney
Raney has a BS Degree in Industrial Arts from Virginia Tech, is certified as a Welding Instructor by the State of Virginia and has taught welding at Brunswick High School for 31 years.  Mike is currently completing the requirements for certification as a Welding Educator through the American Welding Society.

LOCATIONs

SVCC currently runs two state-of-the-art welding training facilities:

• SVCC Daniel Campus
  200 Daniel Road
  Keysville, VA
  
  
  
• Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center
  118 East Danville Street
  South Hill, VA
  (434) 955-2252

COST

Tuition Rates

Financial aid is available.  Contact:

• Financial Aid Office – Alberta – (434) 949-1094
• Financial Aid Office – Keysville – (434) 736-2091

Admission Requirements and Forms

Most materials are provided by Southside Virginia Community College.  However the textbook and some instructional materials may have to be purchased by the student.

In addition to preparing individuals for entry level welding jobs, many of the welding skills developed in this program (and some of the credits) can be transferred to other high skill/high wage workforce training programs offered at SVCC such as:

• Automotive Diagnosis and Tune-Up  http://www.sv.vccs.edu/academics/programs/autotech/default.asp#tune
• High Performance Technology http://www.sv.vccs.edu/academics/programs/hpt/
• Industrial Service Technology
• Heavy Equipment Operation  http://www.sv.vccs.edu/academics/programs/heavyequip/
• Diesel Mechanics http://www.sv.vccs.edu/academics/programs/diesel/
• Electronics  http://www.sv.vccs.edu/academics/programs/electronics/
• Electricity
• Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration

Depending on individual program requirements, some of the welding program course credits will transfer into the above programs.  In most cases the program course requirements for a Career Study Certificate in Welding Technology can be completed in one year or less attending evening classes.

SVCC LINKS

• Apply to SVCC:    http://www.sv.vccs.edu/admissions/requirements/
• Class Schedule:    http://www.sv.vccs.edu/student/schedules/
• Registration:    http://www.sv.vccs.edu/admissions/registration/
• Advising and Counseling:    http://www.sv.vccs.edu/student/advising/

OTHER USEFUL LINKS

• Department of Labor Career Information:     http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos226.htm
• American Welding Society:     http://www.aws.org/w/a/