Results of partnership between ACSD, ACED and NICC to be featured during August 22 public open house for newly renovated Regional Welding Lab

by Brianne Eilers

There will be an open house for the newly created Allamakee Regional Welding Lab from 5 to 7 p.m. this Thursday, August 22 at the Waukon Middle School. Visitors are asked to enter through the auditorium entrance on the east side of the building, and parking can be found in the lot between the Middle School and West Elementary.

The Regional Welding Lab is a partnership between the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD), Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis said, “We are so appreciative of the partnership we have with NICC and their role in making this opportunity available to our students, especially the work of Erica Nosbisch. I would also like to give credit to Mr. Dave Herold, Mr. Caleb Ferring and our school board for their vision, hard work and support of this endeavor.”

Waukon High School Industrial Arts Instructor Caleb Ferring recently finished up a STEM Teacher Externship with Trinity Fabricators in New Albin. Ferring also completed a similar experience during the summer of 2017 with Benjegerdes Machine in Waukon. The knowledge and hands-on experience he gained through these externships will be put to use in his classrooms.

“We want to help students make the connection from school to businesses,” he explained. By participating in the externships, Ferring said he has a better understanding of what these businesses expect of their workers and he can help to better prepare students in the classroom. Ferring explained that he has also brought industry experienced co-teachers from local businesses into the classroom to help students know what skills employers are looking for.

Ferring explained that there is a lot of opportunity and need for welders in the area. “There is a demand for welders and other skilled trades,” he said. With many of the “baby boomer” generation retiring, businesses are finding they have positions to fill.

“The goal is to create a pipeline of talent to fill current and future welding vacancies within our region,” said NICC Waukon Center Director Erica Nosbisch. “The Regional Welding Lab is a very important partnership between ACSD, NICC and ACED that will impact community vitality by bringing college level welding classes and training to Allamakee County.”

By participating in his recent externships, Ferring has been able to improve his own welding skills and also learn what employers are going to expect out of his students. Ferring completed and passed a weld test for an AWS welding certification for GMAW (commonly known as wire welding). He noted that many of the skills in the areas he teaches also tend to overlap. The Regional Welding Lab and his classes will help students be able to get hands-on experience, as well as first-hand experience with the problem-solving skills they’ll need for the industry.

With a need for skilled welders, Ferring noted that this is a good time for people to learn the trade. “The students will be in high demand,” he said.

Ferring will incorporate industry standards into the Welding Career Pathway Certificate classes he will be teaching for NICC.

Over the past couple of years, the Regional Welding Lab has also received several upgrades. A new ventilation system was installed, as well as LED lighting and new doors. Funding for these upgrades came from ACSD, NICC and grants, including the STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Grant and a grant from the Allamakee County Community Foundation.

Ferring noted that they also received eight new welders that can do three of the basic welding processes: GMAW, GTAW and SMAW. He noted that usually it would take three separate machines, but the new welders can do all three on one machine. NICC paid for a large portion of the welders.

There is also a new hydraulic press to perform bend test on welds and an ironworker machine to fabricate metal. All of theses pieces of equipment are things that are being used in shops of area businesses. All metal for the program has also been donated by area shops.

The Regional Welding Lab will be starting up this fall. There will be classes during the day for high school students with additional classes at night for non-traditional students. Ferring said that there will be 16 students in his GMAW welding class where they will learn safety, blue print reading and the different applications of welding in various positions.

There will also be an Intro to Welding class through NICC on four Saturdays in September for those who may be interested in learning to weld but have never done it. The class will teach basic skills of welding and allow students to build their own project. For more information on the Regional Welding Lab, contact the NICC Waukon Center at 563-568-3060.