Welding Program

The welding program at Wilkes Community College prepares students for careers as welding engineers, manufacturing engineers, application engineers, sales engineers, and project engineer or manager. The program focuses on applying technical knowledge and skills to join or cut metal surfaces. Program course include: arc welding, resistance welding, brazing and soldering, cutting, high-energy beam welding and cutting, solid state welding, ferrous and non-ferrous materials, oxidation-reduction reactions, welding metallurgy, welding process and heat treating, structural design, safety, and codes and standards. Get more details below including other North Carolina colleges that offer welding program.

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Wilkes Community College (WPCC)

1001 Burkemont Ave, Morganton, NC

Wilkes Community College is a two-year community college that serves the people of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties. It is a member of the North Carolina Community College System. If you are looking to enhance your quality of life by learning new skills to cope with today’s rapidly changing world, or moving forward in your educational journey, Wilkes College is the place for you.  Through its various programs and development services Wilkes Community College strives to improve your quality of life.

The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award degrees, certificates and diplomas.

This is an equal opportunity college and the campuses located at the Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties offer a wide variety of programs ranging from accounting, architecture, business administration and automotive systems to basic law, computer technology and health services.

If you have time or place constraints and are not able to attend college you can opt for the distance learning programs offered by them.  This enables you to learn at your convenience in the comfort of your home or office.

To respond to the ongoing changes in technology there is a need to create continuing education to enhance your current skills or even learn new ones.  Wilkes Community College has a division for Continuing Education to respond to these needs by providing services not only to individuals but also to businesses and industries within the Alleghany, Ashe and Wilkes counties.

Students Enrolled in the Welding Program

Get more details below regarding enrollment, academics, and school demographics. WPCC has offered the following academic levels for students:

• Less Than One Year Certificate
• Less Than Two-Year Award

Students by Academic Level (2019)

Students by Gender (2019)

Students by Race (2019)

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2020: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.

Career Options for Graduates

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

Description

Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, welders, cutters, and welder fitters employment is expected to grow at a rate of 3.6% from 2014 to 2024

Salary & Wages

• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
  • Total Employment: 520
  • Average Hourly Rate: $17.85
  • Average Annual Salary: $37130

Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Description

Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders employment is expected to shrink at a rate of -18.0% from 2014 to 2024

Source: Job descriptions, estimated salary and wages, and projected job growth are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).