From Action News:
QuoteJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" fame visited the Tulsa Welding School Tuesday to discuss the nationwide shortage of skilled workers.
"He came here to see what we are doing, how we do business here, and talk to the students and tell them there is a bunch of jobs out there," said Jack Dulls, training director for the Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville. "The demand is very high."
Whole article here: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Shortage-of-skilled-workers-gets-nationwide/zd2s650hhUSQla_4VLRNJg.cspx (http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Shortage-of-skilled-workers-gets-nationwide/zd2s650hhUSQla_4VLRNJg.cspx)
How are government schools addressing this skill shortage?
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 20, 2014, 12:06:20 PM
How are government schools addressing this skill shortage?
By saying you should go get $50,000 in debt, party your ass off for 4 years, and get a degree in Political Science.
Well that depends upon what "goberment skool" you look at.
FSCJ that State College offers welding courses. It may be a better first step.
http://www.fscj.edu/academics/areas-of-study/construction-manufacturing/applied-welding-technologies-wc
By the way there are no gaurantees you'll get a welding job. Technical welders must pass welding certification for each new welding process they are asked to weld. If you can't do the welds required you don't get the job. Tulsa and other profit schools often say they will find you a job but usually the good ones get the pick. The average welder gets the leavings if at all.
Welders pipefitters and structural welders often travel from one job to another. That job lasts till the project is done then they look for another. Even if retained by a company they may have to travel. Hot, dirty, cold, and often strenous it is a good one for Mike Rowe to attempt.
Let's put it this way: Tulsa Welding School will cost you $8,773 to $15,425 depending on which track you take. Taking the program at FSCJ will cost you $5000. So there's that. FSCJ also isn't going around trying to convince you how easy it is to get a job, so there's that too.
http://www.floridacoastcareertech.org/programs/view/welding
The problem with these for profit technical skills training schools, especially when they are owned by large, multi-program corporations, is that the only standards required of the student is the ability to get the funding for the program. They will take anyone off the street, even someone who can't put two lego blocks together, and tell them they are going to be a professional welder. The drop out rate is very high and very few( if they find work) make the money they were led to believe they would. The welding tests given by the high paying industries are very demanding and background checks are taken very seriously. Try getting a position with a shipyard, in the power industry, port, chemical, etc., with a felony criminal background.
That being said, there are many smaller schools that do require mimimum skill levels and acceptable backgrounds to be admitted. I would look for these schools or find companies that offer on the job training for their particular processes.
Quote from: Tacachale on February 20, 2014, 04:52:31 PM
Let's put it this way: Tulsa Welding School will cost you $8,773 to $15,425 depending on which track you take. Taking the program at FSCJ will cost you $5000. So there's that. FSCJ also isn't going around trying to convince you how easy it is to get a job, so there's that too.
http://www.floridacoastcareertech.org/programs/view/welding
Don't forget if FSCJ doesn't fill the class...the class will be canceled...some program. Yea Tulsa is just like Full Sail Recording school in Orlando...they will find you an internship...out of the state..at your own expense.