JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Tulsa Welding School is expanding as the demand for welders grows and more people show interest in learning the trade in the River City.
Welders have a particular set of skills —high in demand— and it’s peaking the interest of people living in Jacksonville.
For that reason, Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville is expanding its program to keep up with that demand.
“Enrollment has been doing really well. We saw a need for a possible overnight welding shift, which is new for us starting Aug. 12. Classes will be from 12 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. so we’re excited about that,” said Michael Cole, the Regional Campus President of Tulsa Welding School Jacksonville.
Welding is the process of bonding metals using heat and pressure. It’s used across several industries from aerospace, manufacturing, shipping, the automotive industry, infrastructure, and renewable energy.
Cole said more young people are interested in the trade.
“When I started here at Tulsa Welding, we had a much older group of students coming in. I’d say 35 to 60. We’ve seen a huge influx of younger folks or people who started a career in college and didn’t necessarily like their career and shifted over,” Cole added.
Cole also said there’s an uptick of minorities learning welding.
“We’ve seen a lot more minorities come into the program and lastly, what’s pretty cool we’re seeing a lot more women. Before it was about 1 to 2% it is probably about 3-4% right now on our female demographic.”
Even with this increased interest, the American Welding Society said there’s a shortage of more than 375,000 welders.
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For people considering becoming a welder, there are some things to keep in mind.
“There are some admission requirements. They have to have a high school diploma, in order to come into the program. They’ll have to go through the admissions process and interview with financial aid representative,” Cole said.
If you are interested in attending Tulsa Welding School, you can call the school directly at (904) 663-3534 or visit them at 3500 Southside Blvd in Jacksonville.