Welders are skilled people who like to work with their hands. A welder can find work almost anywhere from the smallest shop down the street to the largest industrial complex in our major cities. All hard goods manufactured make extensive use of welding in building cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships, aircraft, space vehicles, farm implements, and jewelry.

A graduate welder is capable of welding ferrous and nonferrous metals in all positions and can operate shears, drills, and power tools. A welder is competent in layout, cutting, and forming metals and determining electrodes and filler metal to be used. They must know how to work from blueprints and written procedures and know welding symbols. The welding program at Eastern Wyoming College is centered in the Career and Technical Education Building and is set up as close to industry as is possible. Each student is assigned a welding machine, table, and positioner. Discussion of safety rules, regulations, and safe use of equipment are included in the curriculum.

The objectives of the program are to enable the student to meet entry-level requirements for employment, build a basis for further study, and for lifelong learning in the metal working trades. Students will study both the theory and practice of shielded metal arc welding, oxyacetylene welding, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, and flux cored arc welding. Technical aspects of the above processes are taught with emphasis on plate and pipe welding of mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions are covered in each area. The theory and practice of mechanical and manual cutting with oxyacetylene and air carbon arc cutting and gouging, joint design, preparation and layout of plate and pipe are also included in the program.

Students will be required to qualify in each of the processes listed above. Specimens completed will be examined and tested in the testing lab using one or more of the following test methods: dye penetrant, macro etch, guided bend, and tensile test. All testing will be done in accordance with the American Welding Society Structural Welding Code D1.1; The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Section IX of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code; and The American Petroleum Institute Standard for Welding Pipelines. Eastern Wyoming College is an AWS Accredited Test Center.

Students must complete all program requirements, including approved electives, with a grade of “C” or better.