Universal Technical Institute’s Mooresville campus, NASCAR Technical Institute(NASCAR Tech), has officially launched its new Welding Technology Training program, gathering with local dignitaries and employers for a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside the campuses’ first class of welding students. The program is hailed as another achievement for workforce development efforts in the region and helps address the demand for skilled workers.
This represents the eighth welding program launched at a UTI campus nationwide, with three additional programs scheduled to launch in the summer of 2022 at the UTI Exton, Pa. campus, and the new UTI campuses in Austin, Texas and Miramar, Fla.
The 36-week course trains students on the hard and soft skills needed to prepare for a welding career. Welders are highly sought after in industries ranging from automotive fabrication and motorsports to aerospace, construction, and virtually every kind of manufacturing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be an annual average of 49,200 welding job openings nationwide between now and 2030.[1],[2]
“NASCAR Tech works hand-in-hand with our employer partners to continue addressing their need for skilled workers in our region,” said Jennifer Bergeron, campus president at NASCAR Technical Institute. “Welders are the backbone of our economy and are vital to the development of the infrastructure we use every day. We are encouraged by the strong interest in our new welding program, from both prospective students and employers who are ready to hire our graduates[3].”
One of the program’s new instructors, Martin Ngigi, worked as a traveling welder most of his career and spent several years working on the SpaceX program.
“I want to give my experience to someone else. I want to change another person’s life because this profession changed my life,” said Ngigi. “As a traveling welder, I never worried about finding a job. I had some amazing experiences at SpaceX, getting to work on the rocket and booster that went to space. Now, it’s about passing along that knowledge. It’s a way for me to give back.”
Employers and local representatives from Lincoln Electric, Muddy Creek Motorsports, Technique Chassis, the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation, Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins, and many others joined in an official ribbon-cutting and presentation.
The UTI Welding Technology Training Program includes hands-on training and instruction through a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with Lincoln Electric (Nasdaq: LECO), a global leader in the welding industry.
For more information on NASCAR Technical Institute’s welding program, visit: https://www.uti.edu/programs/welding.