ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Thursday, welding students put their skills to the test at the second annual Upper Michigan Welding Educators qualification event at Bay College.
“I’ve been welding since I was probably 9 or 10 years old,” said Gladstone Area High School senior Cameron McKenzie. “I just like the idea of putting two pieces of metal together.”
Cameron was one of many high schoolers from across the U.P. to participate in the event.
“They are taking a welding test in a given configuration with a given process that will make them a certified welder,” explained Delta Schoolcraft ISD welding instructor Cliff Danis. “That’s something that they can present to employers and get good-paying jobs with that credential.”
Danis says the skills they had to demonstrate to earn that credential are in high demand.
“The skills gap is huge,” he said. “Baby boomers are retiring. We need more qualified and competent people to do these jobs, and these kids are walking into a good position to get those jobs.”
They also have the option of pursuing further welding education, which they can do at Bay College.
“That’s why Bay College hosts this event,” said Danis. “This is two qualifications in a world where you can almost get endless qualifications—base materials, processes, groove configurations. It’s kind of like a domino effect of the million different ways you can switch that up to meet customer needs.”
Danis says the event gives students a taste of the real-world welding industry.
“We have multiple CWIs [Certified Welding Inspectors] here that are walking around checking plates,” he said. “We’ve got kids out of their comfort zone on machines in environments they’re not familiar with. We’re giving them that performance evaluation at a high school level.”
Cameron says his favorite part of his welding training has been learning the science behind it. With a successful day of testing, he is already making plans for after high school.
“I’ll do education through Bay and then I’ll do some sort of structural welding,” he said.
Cameron encourages other young people to consider an education—and potentially a career—in welding.
“I’ve had lots of fails, lots of tests that I haven’t passed, but eventually you’ll work your way up and you’ll get it eventually,” he said.
For information on the Delta Schoolcraft ISD welding program, click here. Click here to learn about the welding program offered at Bay College.
