Nipomo High School recently became one of 34 schools in 29 states to participate for the first time in the High School Welding Education Initiative, a program offered by welding equipment supplier Airgas.
“Nipomo High School was selected to participate because of the strong commitment of its teachers and school board to advance welding education, the high unmet financial needs of the community, and the local Air Gas “This is because employees were more likely to cooperate,'' Airgas representative Brian Jones said on May 3.
Airgas associates provide participating schools with professional development training, continuing education opportunities for welding teachers, and donations of welding equipment and personal protective equipment.
Airgas says its welding education initiative has supported 117 schools with 8,100 students and 560 instructors since 2018. Approximately 1,000 students immediately secured jobs upon graduating from the donor-supported school program.
Nipomo High School's participation is part of the Airgas Initiative's expansion to 65 schools (34 new schools, 31 returning schools) in the 2024 school year, which will add 360,000 new welding professionals by 2027. This confirms the predictions made by the American Welding Society that this will be necessary.
“Faculty and students will be able to determine what equipment and resources are most needed for their programs and will be able to customize their selection of donations from Airgas,” said Jones, director of risk management and corporate responsibility at Airgas. “It will be.”
“Nipomo High School teachers connect with team members and welding process experts from local Airgas chapters to ensure that coursework helps students prepare for welding careers and to learn more about new products and technological advancements. , we are discussing career opportunities for our students,” he said. .
One of those teachers is Clayton Carlson, a welding instructor at Nipomo High School. Airgas' donation will allow the school to purchase safety equipment for welding students and consumables such as grinding wheels and electrodes, but the priority is to obtain a new, larger plasma cutter, he said.
“We already have one plasma cutter, but it's a little older, and the new one we're going to get will have industry standards, like a fully integrated cutting tip,” Carlson said on May 6. I guess so.''
Mr. Carlson leads the agricultural mechanics program at Nipomo High School, which is divided into three classes. He teaches the basics of woodworking, plumbing and welding. Two of his three courses are dual-enrolled with Cuesta College, allowing students to earn college credit upon completing the course, while the third course is pending approval.
“They will be able to jump into a more advanced field to get their welding certificate at Questa and get certified to go out and do welding and structural work on high-rise buildings,” Carlson said. said. “It puts them on a slightly faster trajectory.”
Anthony Zellis, a student of Carlson's and a senior at Nipomo High School, said he liked the Agricultural Mechanics Program's Agricultural Maintenance course so much that he repeated it. He has worked as a farm laborer for the past three years, putting his welding skills to use.
Mr. Zellis will start as a part-time agricultural business student at Allan Hancock University. Although the soon-to-be graduate will not experience any donations from Airgas, Zellis acknowledged the company's impact on Nipomo High School's programs.
“Welding always uses gas, and Airgas actually helps us with the gas supply, so they actually allow us to run the shop,” he said. “They are essential to our program. The amount of money we spend on supplies and materials is quite high. Having them help us is extremely beneficial.”
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Contact staff writer Bulbul Rajagopal. [email protected].