There is a well-documented and growing need in industry for certified welding, materials joining, and nondestructive testing technicians. Chattanooga State Community College in collaboration with regional industry and the ATE National Center for Welding Education and Training (Weld-Ed) are addressing this challenge by providing faculty development to equip regional community college faculty and high school welding instructors with recruitment strategies and the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare students for nationally recognized skills certifications in critical need areas. A key goal of this project is to advance the knowledge of these welding instructors through a professional development workshop and follow-up activities that address the principles of advanced materials joining and the standards for welding and welding inspection certification.
While the professional development workshop is being offered to instructors, the benefits of the training are far-reaching. Approximately 15 institutions (high schools, 2- and 4-year colleges, and vocational centers) provide welding instruction within the region served by the college. Students in these institutions, whose instructors participate in the workshop, are benefitting from the instructional materials developed and provided to all participants. Students who are introduced to welding inspection may choose to pursue an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Nondestructive Testing Technology. Through an articulation agreement with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), individuals who earn an AAS degree in Engineering Technology may continue their education at UTC in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree in Engineering Technology Management. Career prospects are being enhanced for individuals regardless of whether they choose to earn welding or welding inspection certifications or seek to obtain college degrees.
The College offers 21 engineering technology programs that prepare technicians in advanced technology fields, including Welding Engineering Technology and Nondestructive Testing. The Nondestructive Testing program at the college has been accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET that is recognized as the worldwide leader in assuring quality and stimulating innovation in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology education. The college is the first and only institution within the United States to earn this distinction. This project is leveraging expertise at the college by adapting Weld-Ed curriculum resources to provide faculty development that is updating and expanding welding, materials joining, and nondestructive education in the region and increasing the number of nationally certified technicians available to industry. Participants are also being equipped with strategies and resources for student recruitment for the targeted courses and programs.
