Kimberley Gilles
associate editor

An experienced Hobart instructor shows a trainee-teacher advanced welding techniques through the institute's train-the-trainer program.

A Hobart instructor provides in-house training at a customer's production facility. Photo courtesy of Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.

In a competitive market, manufacturers can't afford to wait around for good welders with the right experience to walk through their doors. However, many firms are solving the problem of quickly employing top-notch welders by enlisting the aid of welding schools, which provide train-the-trainer programs, customized training, on-campus skills training, and training assessment.

J.W. Williams Inc., Casper, Wyo., an oil and gas-processingequipment manufacturer is one company taking advantage of a train-the-trainer program. The company has been riding Wyoming's 18-yr-long natural-gas boom, which has been good for business, but also required doubling its workforce. Being in Wyoming made it especially difficult to hire good welders because the state, with only about 500,000 inhabitants, has a limited workforce. In addition, attracting welders from other parts of the country is hard, especially for short-term work.

According to Hall Conner, human resources manager, Williams already had a core group of experienced welders knowledgeable about the company's processes and welding, but not experienced in how to teach their skills to others.

Among the experienced welders were graduates of Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, Troy, Ohio. "We were impressed with Hobart's quality of instruction and the capabilities of Hobart graduates," says Kelly McCowan, plant manager. So Williams hired from the local community and turned to Hobart's train-the-trainer program.

Such train-the-trainer programs are well-suited for manufacturers that know their employees need welding training but are limited by factors such as costs and location.

Community colleges and other welding institutes and schools, including Edison Welding Institute Inc. (EWI), Columbus, and The Lincoln Electric Welding School, Cleveland, also offer similar programs.

With the Hobart on-campus program, a manufacturer sends its top welders to the Hobart campus. The school then tests their welding skills, attitudes, and aptitudes for teaching. Andre Odermatt, president, says it's crucial the welders believe there is always room to improve their welds. After being tested, the trainee-teachers observe and learn from experienced Hobart instructors. Then the instructor observes the student-teachers to determine how they will work as teachers. After completing the course, the trainees return to their company well-prepared to train others.

Train-the-trainer programs are important because not every great welder is necessarily a good teacher. These programs help prospective trainers learn the best ways to transfer their knowledge of processes, procedures, and technology to their adult students — they learn the fundamentals of adult education.

The three Williams welders who took Hobart's train-the-trainer program could already show someone how to weld, but didn't know how to set up a curriculum. In addition to learning this, they learned how to give written and physical tests, provide feedback, and hone the new welders to be good employees as well as good welders.

Train-the trainer programs save companies money because one or more skilled welders show other employees good welding techniques and inform them of new technologies. In addition, having one or more key people train others lets organizations distribute knowledge so that no one person carries the entire repository.

Small and medium-sized companies such as Williams are not the only ones to exploit the advantages of train-the-trainer programs. Recently, a large automotive manufacturer sent four lead people to The Lincoln Electric Welding School in Cleveland for a fiveday program, according to Bill West, manager of the welding school. West says after trainees completed Lincoln's program, he went to the automaker's facility to audit how they were doing, making sure they were effectively communicating to other employees.

Customized training
Not every organization needs trainthetrainer programs. Instead, they may opt for customized training. Hobart, Lincoln, and EWI are among the schools providing customized training. This can involve either field training, where instructors come to manufacturers' facilities, or off-site training at school campuses. Either way, programs address companies' particular needs, whether for specific welding skills or qualification/ certification.

One example is General Electric Transportation-Aircraft Engines (GE), Evendale, Ohio, which used to have its own welding school. Daryl Peacock, weld engineer, ran the school for seven years, and certified the production and non-production welders. But when production changed from fabricated components to castings and forgings, the company needed fewer production welders and could no longer justify having an in-house school. That's when GE contracted Hobart to come in.

GE, per the UAW job description for production welders and after extensive interviews, only hires welders with at least one year experience. "And that is experience outside of GE," says Peacock. Hobart gives these welders a proficiency test and determines-what training the welders will need to receive their initial certification as welders for GE. Then Hobart's certified welding instructor's (CWI) work with the welders at GE's Evandale, Rutland, Vt., and Lynn, Mass., facilities toward certification. Another CWI then gives the test again. After certification, experienced in-house welders train the newly certified welders on GE's equipment.

Send welders to school
For some companies, in-house welding training programs are not an option because of time and manpower constraints. In these cases, hiring right off a campus is a good solution. Odermatt of Hobart says, "These are welders who have not yet acquired the bad habits that create rejects and bad welds." However, the downside is hiring a raw recruit may not meet all the company's requirements.

For example, Nestle R&D Center Inc., Marysville, Ohio, wants welders who are proud and committed to their work, says Mike Tussing. It also wants individuals with the best training possible who want to advance and learn new techniques. But the company does not hire welders right out of welding schools.

Instead, Nestle welders typically starts out as technicians in the maintenance division, maintaining and installing equipment. Some of these welders have received vocational training in welding. In maintenance, they learn to build-up frames and other fabrications. As they experience different welding processes, individuals may gravitate to one or more types of welding and have an appreciation for it. "Nestle then sends them to Hobart to get the training that will fulfill their abilities," says Tussing.

Relying extensively on a welding school to develop individual welders has worked well for Nestle. Tussing continues, "We've had trouble with in-house training because of the time demand and constant interruptions.

Training assessment
Some welding schools also provide training assessment. The service is suited for companies having problems with output or quality. Assessment involves identifying the problem, analyzing it thoroughly, and determining training needs, ranking them by urgency and objectives. Good training organizations or consulting firms that offer these services work closely with clients to learn their processes and needs and make the appropriate training recommendations.

Solving a state's skills shortage In some states, schools form alliances to ensure a labor pool of welders. For example, about eight years ago, several Central Ohio manufacturers went to the governor about welder training issues. They could not find a program in mid-Ohio to train their existing employees or establish a labor pool for future employees, reports Richard Green, EWI's education and training manager. The manufacturers threatened to leave Ohio unless the governor's office addressed the training problem. The governor asked EWI to help. EWI met with the companies to determine their needs. It then determined what it would take to develop a welder-training program. EWI made a strategic decision to partner with the Hobart Institute, an existing trainer. This alliance provides Hobart with new clients it would not normally tap into while letting EWI serve both local industry as well as engineering clients.