Montana DLI, Great Falls College, Private Industry Partner to Launch Accelerated Structural Welding Course
- — August 01 2023
GREAT FALLS- The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), Great Falls College, ADF, Allied Steel, and Montana Vocational Rehab have partnered to launch the first 10-student cohort of an accelerated, 6-week Structural Welding course.
On Monday evening, Great Falls College hosted a kick-off event to celebrate the beginning of the course. The comprehensive program is designed to equip individuals with essential skills and qualifications to build careers in the critical welding industry. Students will engage in hands-on training, gaining practical experience and building a strong foundation in structural welding techniques. Upon completing the program students will be eligible to test for welding qualifications.
The effort was spearheaded by DLI’s newly-formed Business Engagement Team, which partners with private-sector industry and educational institutions to address critical gaps in the state’s workforce. With demand on the rise across Montana for skilled professionals in the welding industry, this course will serve as a model for how cross-functional partnerships between state agencies, private-sector employers and educators can help bridge the skills gap and empower Montanans to pursue rewarding careers in dynamic fields.
“The demand for welders statewide has become critical, and DLI projects Montana will need 220 new welders every year just in the next 3-5 years. These are good paying jobs, averaging nearly $50,000 a year or more. This is exactly the sort of targeted, high-impact rapid skills training that can help Montana employers find the workers they need,” said Sarah Swanson, DLI’S Director of Strategic Engagement, at the event on Monday.
“It allows individuals opportunities they may not be aware are available to them,” said Trevor Floerchinger, ADF Production Manager. “The program is designed to take an individual with little to no skill set or experience and set them up to be able to step into a production welding facility and go to work, at more than an entry-level position.”
“We are so excited to take part in this innovative program that will connect prospective welders with employers while arming them with the necessary tools to launch a career,” said Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and Dean of Great Falls College. “This rapid-training program is another great example of local industry and education working together for a win-win solution that benefits the entire community.”
Separately, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte voiced his support for the program. "As our economy grows, so are opportunities to work in a good-paying job here in Montana," Gov. Gianforte said in a statement Monday. "With its new 6-week structural welding course, Great Falls College will empower hardworking Montanans with in-demand skills and help job creators fill key positions in Cascade County and across our state."
Monday’s launch follows the completion in June of a similar DLI-led training initiative that graduated 22 new Certified Nurse Assistants on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning.
DLI’s Sarah Swanson speaks at the kickoff of the accelerated welding training program at Great Falls College on July 31, 2023.
