Welding and Fabricating Program
If Welding is what you’re interested in, Kirtland will light a fire under your career.
Welding and Fabricating is a career that attracts a wide range of people, both women and men, in part because there are so many different kinds of jobs and careers available. Welders work on projects as big as bridges and as small as surgical tools; but, either way, they have a huge sense of pride in their work.
Whether you want to do portable welding work, go out to the pipelines and weld in the oil fields, use your welding skills to make garden ornaments, work in a shipyard, get a job as a fabricator with a local manufacturer, travel the country or the world with your job, eventually start your own shop or get into underwater welding – or one of the many other career options for welders and fabricators – Kirtland’s Associate Degree or Certificate of Completion can be your launching pad.
Even if going to college hasn’t been your thing, and especially if your hands-on style of learning hasn’t been well accommodated by schools you’ve attended in the past… you’ll have a very different experience once you get into the Welding and Fabricating lab!
We’re committed to teaching you what you need to know, provide you plenty of hands-on lab time to perfect your craft, and help you excel in ways you may have never done before.
What’s YOUR story?
People come to this program at different stages in life and for many different reasons. Each person has their own story. Do any of these sound like yours?
Are you coming to Kirtland straight out of high school, perhaps you were even dual enrolled?
Were you a part of other programs where welding was a component and discovered you liked it?
Were some of your family members welders?
Are you considering Welding and Fabricating as a career change?
Perhaps you’ve been incentivized by state programs such as Michigan Reconnect and realize how financially advantageous going to college might be for you.
Or, maybe you’ve already been welding in the workforce and need our Certificate of Completion or Associate Degree in order to qualify for a promotion, apply for a higher-paying job, or continue your training to advance in the field.
While at Kirtland:
You can earn: 3 welding industry certificates with a certificate of completion and 10 industry certificates with an associate degree. This is what employers are looking for.
You’ll become proficient in a variety of fabricating techniques, including: cutting, punching, forming, shearing, and welding.
Skilled welders will always work
After graduating, you’ll have options:
- welder
- fabricator
- sculptor
- pipefitter
- pipeline welding
- field installation
- shipbuilding
- railcar building
- or as a craftsperson creating products for direct sales to retail or wholesale customers.
Other more advanced welding careers require additional training or experience (some require a bachelor’s degree, for instance). For example, if you’re interested you might eventually work as an: inspector, millwright, underwater welder, project manager, welding equipment sales professional, or welding and fabricating instructor. You may even decide to open your own shop one day.
Career Opportunities
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Median Salary (2021) in Michigan: $38,870
Employment growth (2021-31): 10%
Salary data according to O*NET Online
Is this a program where YOU can enjoy the learning and develop this skill set that will always be in demand?
If you agree with most of these ideas, the answer may be YES …
- I’m a problem solver. I like to figure things out.
- I’m a hands-on learner. I want to learn in an environment where there’s plenty of time in the lab to practice and perfect my craft.
- I love being able to build things and see the final results of my work! I take great pride in my work and have a strong work ethic.
- I want to finish school with the industry-recognized certifications that employers are looking for.
- I want a profession where there are a variety of high quality jobs available, both locally and nationwide.
- I may be motivated by the portability of the welding and fabricating profession – having a recognized skill set that allows me to work anywhere.
- I’m mechanically inclined and may have had some experience with welding at home or in high school.
- I have the ability and confidence to work by myself and be self-motivated but also to work with other people as part of a team. I understand that many times welding and fabricating jobs are too large for one person to work on alone.
- I’m usually tuned in to my surroundings, aware of what’s going on around me.
- I take safety seriously.
- I want a career that’s recession and pandemic proof.
At Kirtland you’ll finish with:
Welding and Fabricating, Associate in Applied Science
or
Welding and Fabricating, Certificate of Completion
Your Kirtland education is respected by employers
Local and regional employers know that, if you’re a graduate of Kirtland, you’re prepared to do the work. Here are some of the reasons:
Our M-TEC lab is built around some of the newest equipment and industry-current welding techniques.
You’ll be tested to American Welding Society standards, giving you the opportunity to receive several recognized industry credentials in addition to your Kirtland-issued certificate.
Courses are taught by credentialed welding instructors. Our faculty members come from industry and they work in industry. They have decades of experience and also continue to work in industry – so they’re bringing real-time information daily.
We have an advisory board of industry professionals who help us stay current with what employers need and want.
We’ve designed a program for hands-on learners
If you’ve ever attended a school where your educational needs as a hands-on learner were not well met, where you didn’t feel your talents were recognized in large part because of your learning style, you’re in for a big surprise here at Kirtland. Hands-on learning is our specialty.
We provide you with a well-equipped, modern laboratory for learning and practice and plenty of time to practice under the guidance of skilled instructors.
You’ll have every advantage at Kirtland
Our faculty care about your success
Kirtland has a reputation for having caring faculty who not only know their subject area, but also care deeply about the well being and progress of their students. Our instructors use a variety of effective teaching styles and techniques to help each and every student reach their full potential.
Passionate student-focused advisors provide the guidance you need to succeed.
Our advisors are well-known among current and former students alike for their kindness and exceptional level of interest and commitment to each student’s success. They’ll do everything in their power to get you the right information and answer your questions.
Kirtland makes it easier to work out the finances
You can save a lot of money by enrolling here. Our tuition rates are one-third the cost of most four-year schools and universities, which puts you at a real advantage!
We also have many resources for financial aid and professional staff who’ll help you apply.
Get help with your financial aid
You may be surprised by how simple it is to apply for government grants, scholarships and loans.
Your credit history is not a major consideration in qualifying for federal aid. You DON’T need to attend school full-time to qualify. And we will assist you with the process you’re dreading IF you need help. Often students are eligible for more money than they’re expecting.
Your path to a lucrative & fulfilling future
Step 1 — Get Started
Apply for admission to the college. Apply for financial aid. p.s. If you need assistance with your financial aid application, we’re here to help!
Step 2
Speak to an advisor!
They’ll help you navigate the process, dot the I’s and cross the T’s! Declare Welding and Fabricating as your program of study with your advisor.
Step 3
Complete your courses and all of your hands-on lab work to demonstrate proficiency. Take and pass your welder’s certification tests.
Step 4
Victory! Graduate with a Certificate of Completion or Associate in Applied Science in Welding and Fabricating. Time to celebrate! You deserve it.
FINAL STEP
Go out and get yourself a great job! Remember, you’re in demand and always will be.
Bonus STEP
Continue your training by taking advantage of Kirtland’s Workforce Development opportunities or pursue other training and credentials.