Forge Your Future as a Certified Welding Technician
St. Louis Community College's certified welding technician program provides an accelerated entry into the welding industry. This dynamic program equips students with the skills to master various welding techniques.
Students use state-of-the-art equipment to gain hands-on experience and have the opportunity to earn certifications from the American Welding Society (AWS).
What is the Certified Welding Technician Program at St. Louis Community College?
The certified welding technician program at STLCC prepares students for immediate workforce entry, offering three career paths:
- Entry-level welder
- HVAC technician/carpenter
- Specialized roles such as boilermaker, pipefitter or pipeliner
Each area builds on foundational welding skills, supplemented by specialized courses and hands-on instruction tailored to the specific demands of each role.
Students receive short-term instruction in a high-tech welding lab provided by Lincoln Electric. Led by certified instructors, the program prepares students for multiple national welding certifications. Students will complete the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 online training, outside of regular class hours.
Students will learn to:
- Achieve a complete understanding of welding symbols and print drawing and reading.
- Use the correct procedures in setting up and using equipment.
- Use shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), metal inert gas (MIG), flux cored arc welding (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW/TIG) machines in both pipe and plate welding.
- Understand the physical aspect of different metals.
- Develop the skills necessary to pass certification tests in both pipe and plate welding.
What Can You Do as a Certified Welding Technician?
Certified welding technicians can work in a variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and shipbuilding. Their jobs often involve fabricating and repairing metal structures, ensuring quality and safety standards are met and sometimes developing welding techniques and processes.
Certified Welding Technician Short-Term Career Training
- Duration: Varies depending on career path; at least four eight-week sessions required for employment
- Location: STLCC's Center for Workforce Innovation
- Student cost: $2,500 per eight-week session
- Program contact: Max Damron
- Program contact email: mdamron4@stlcc.edu
Requirements
The following requirements must be met for acceptance:
- High school diploma or GED
- Complete WorkKeys assessments
Career Paths
This program offers specialized training for different career paths:
Field/Area of Specialty |
Required Theory Courses |
Required Lab Courses |
Program Length |
|
Entry level welder |
Welding Theory, Blueprint Reading Available Tue. and Wed., |
WEL-150 - WEL-163 Available Mon.-Thu., |
Three eight-week sessions |
|
HVAC technician/carpenter |
Welding Theory, Blueprint Reading Available Tue. and Wed., |
WEL-150, WEL-152, WEL-160 Available Mon.-Thu., |
Approximately eight weeks |
|
Boilermaker/pipefitter/pipeliner |
Welding Theory, Blueprint Reading, Basic Metallurgy Available Tue. and Wed., |
Full program Available Mon.-Thu., |
Approximately 18 months of instruction delivered through eight week sessions |
Course Start and End Dates
Welding Day Class
- August 5 - September 30
- October 7 - December 3
Welding Night Class
- August 5 - September 30
- October 7 - December 3