WCSCC High School and Adult Education Welding Programs Mentioned in Daily Record Article

By JEFF CANNING | WOOSTER DAILY RECORD

Saturday, January 28, 2012, Recruitment Section

WOOSTER - At a time when many businesses are trying to do more with less and stretch every dollar as far as possible, the welding industry is actually booming, thanks in large part to other industries trying to conserve resources.

Mark Morrison, left, owner of Morrison Custom Welding in Wooster, with welder John McPhillips, says opportunities for a career in the welding field are growing because there are many customers to cater to.

Mark Morrison, of Morrison Custom Welding in Wooster has seen firsthand a change in his company’s workload as his customers might look to fix a broken item as opposed to buying a completely new replacement.

“Many of our customers are running lean. They have cut back on maintenance staff and are putting off new equipment purchases,” Morrison said. “They use our services to make a repair or modification that may have been done in-house.”

The repair service allows an item to be put back into service quickly and generally at a lower cost. It’s a trend that Morrison thinks will stand true for quite some time and could mean more opportunities for those looking to enter the work force to pursue a career in welding.

Not all area companies are outsourcing their welding services now, though, as the economy shows signs of turning around. The two combined seem to be the perfect storm that is creating optimum conditions for the welding industry.

“Right now in Wayne County it is just out of the roof. I’ve got several companies looking for skilled welders,” said Mike Boggs, instructor of welding and metal fabrication at the Wayne County Schools Career Center. “Our local manufacturing companies, their businesses are picking back up again. They had laid people off and scaled back on employees and now they’re having to fill those spots back up and it’s coming back together all at once.”

Morrison grew up with a fascination of building things and working with his hands and he was able to capitalize on those interests early on. By the age of 15, he already had a clear desire to be a welder.

In creating his own business, Morrison wanted to create a service that would cater to the needs of several different kinds of customers. Morrison Custom Welding not only does the quick repair work but also does custom fabrication to customers around the area by an approximate 50-mile radius.

“This area has a diverse range of industries and service companies. Welded and fabricated items are used in all of them,” Morrison said. “Often times welding is perceived as something done on a farm or putting in gas lines but welding is used extensively in restaurants, construction, factories, residential and the healthcare industry.”

With so many customers to cater to, the welding industry continues to grow regardless of the specific need. The issue then becomes finding qualified candidates to fill those additional vacancies. Becoming a certified welder is not the easiest thing to accomplish, but there are ample resources for those willing to work for it.

Locally, the Career Center offers both high school and adult programs that provide a strong base for workers, on which they can build their skills. There are currently 18 seniors in the program with a few other full time adult students

and Boggs said that all of them will have no problem finding a job after graduation.

With those basic skills under their belt, workers can then continue to expand their repertoire because of so many different intricacies the welding industry has to offer.

“There are many certifications available. The American Welding Society is most widely recognized,” Morrison said.

“There is a qualification for every specific material and weld joint. Some qualifications will supersede others allowing that person to perform many lesser processes. Like us, most companies will qualify the welders for their specific needs.”

As with any industry, the demands are likely to change in the future depending on several different social and economic trends. Nevertheless, Morrison believes that as welding needs change, his company and others will be ready to adapt to meet them.

“I am optimistic that the welding industry will always be a great profession,” Morrison said. “As the needs change for people, new items will be required to satisfy them. For example, there is a new emphasis on being green. This change has sprouted needs for recycling equipment and diverse energy production, which has greatly impacted our business in the last few years. There will always be needs for a good welder.”