Welding’s history dates back 5,500 years to the Bronze Age when a clever worker learned he could fuse metal alloys together by heating them to their melting point then pounding them together with a hammer. Ever since then, welding technology has had a major impact on metalworking and product engineering. Across the next few millennia, welding has grown into an incredibly high-tech and specialized skill. According to the American Welding Society and National Center for Welding Education & Training, welders today may be trained to operate robots and various automated systems that include the use of explosives, and even lasers and electron beams to bond metals. The ability to work with computers and program software often is vital to successful welding operations. For example, many welding students are being introduced to the trade through “virtual welding,” a simulation program that teaches the basics of welding in a classroom through a realistic sensor experience that duplicates the look and feel of actual welding.
More “Star Trek” than “Bronze Age”
Demand for skilled welders is rising, and the technology is becoming more advanced every year-- especially where automation is concerned. As a result, welding students have an opportunity to prepare for a career that can be tailored to their interests. “I teach students a skill that will improve their lives,” says Yuba College Associate Professor of Welding Dan Turner. But you needn’t attend a four-year college to enter the field. Fortis Colleges and Institutes offer Welding or Welding Technology programs at campuses in Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The programs help students learn activities related to the design, production, performance and maintenance of welded products. The Welding Technology training program is designed to train individuals for entry into the field of welding as industrial welders, welding apprentices, or check welders, while students are shown how to develop a foundation in industrial welding techniques, craft skills, welding mathematics, and career development skills in the Fortis welding program. Contact Fortis today to learn more about our welding certification programs.
