Terra State Community College responds to local need by expanding welding facility
Terra State Community College was recently approached by Autokinition about its need to train 125 new welding employees. As a result, it expanded its welding training facilities to accommodate the growing need for skilled workers in the area.
Terra State Community College has answered the call of a local employer who announced that more than 100 new employers would need to receive additional training before they could start their work. Late last year, Autokinition, a manufacturer based in Bellevue, contacted Terra State to note that they had 125 new employees in need of welding training. The school then began the process of expanding its welding lab, as it did not have enough room for such a large number of students. The new welding lab opened to the public in mid April.
In an article from WTOL, the President of Terra State Community College, Ron Schumaker, talked about the expansion, saying, “We're not done. The goal here is to continue the expansion in the welding program to make sure that we can continue to increase capacity, as that's one of the biggest needs in our district right now."
The project will cost $300,000 and will allow for more students to break into the workforce, while also allowing professionals to receive the necessary training to progress in their careers.
"We're becoming more deliberate with that effort because we know that will get the students back out into the workforce to quickly respond to the needs of our business partners," said Schumacher.
Other employers in the area have also expressed their desire for more workers with welding experience. Local business has to rely on partnerships with schools like Terra State to be able to make sure that workers have the skills needed to seamlessly enter the workforce.
The CEO of Standard Technologies expressed the need for more qualified workers, saying, "Fremont is a great area, Fremont has a lot of jobs. We're an employer here, and we obviously want to fill those positions too. But it can be rewarding throughout their career, there's a lot of opportunity here."
More information about Autokinition can be found at the company’s website.
More information about Terra State Community College can be found at the school’s website.