IVCC welcomes prospective welding students to info session next month

IVCC’s Welding Department is hosting a welding registration session on Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. in CTC-124.
  
All new welding students must register for the Spring 2024 semester through a welding information session. Contact the Workforce Development Division Office at (815) 224-0233 or email Kim_Herout@ivcc.edu to sign up for the session.
 
No previous welding experience is necessary, and instructors work to find the best fit for students at whatever stage they enter the program, said Program Coordinator Theresa Molln. “We try to find out who’s done welding and what type of welding they’re interested in so we can narrow down the program of study they’re looking at,” she said.
 
Info sessions are held on the main campus and just down the hall from the Admissions Department, so prospective students can register and enroll all at once, she added.
 
IVCC’s welding program is ideal for beginners who’ve never welded, for those with some welding background, and for industry employees who want to expand skills at their current employer, Molln said. Some local industries allow flexible work schedules so employees can attend classes, or partner with IVCC to train their workers. The instructors are backed by experience across varied industries.
 
Classes are offered mornings, afternoons and evenings Monday through Thursday. “A flexible schedule of course offerings allows for students with all types of commitments to conveniently attend, from swing shift workers to students still enrolled in high school,” Molln said.
 
Welding draws people looking for good-paying jobs, farmers and others who use the skill in repair work – even artists who want to build showcases for their work. Others just enjoy the skill and its many uses, Molln said.
 
IVCC’s district is a prime labor market for welders because of its varied industries: vehicle manufacturing, architecture and structural metals manufacturing, agriculture, construction, mining, machine shops and fabricated metal product manufacturing. Graduates find a workforce that welcomes them at industries such as Vactor in Streator, HCC in Mendota, Sabic in Ottawa, Marquis Energy in Hennepin and Carus in La Salle, Molln said.
 
Current enrollment is about 65 students. More women are taking up the skill, noted Molln, who was accustomed to being the only female in her welding classes in high school and college. A welding club lets students work independently on projects outside class.
 
Spring classes begin Jan. 11, 2024. For more information on the program, visit https://www.ivcc.edu/programsbyareaofstudy/welding/index.php.