Welding Skills Open Doors to Many Industries
Growing up in Visalia, Walter Simmons’ first childhood introduction to welding was when a welder came out to the family farm to fix their tractor. “Sparks flew and I thought, wow,” said Simmons. “I was impressed with how quickly it was fixed and we were back to pulling a disc around the field.”
Simmons came back to welding after high school and sampling several potential careers. “Once I’d graduated, I tried taking some classes at community college,” said Simmons. “But without a goal, I was kind of flailing and I knew I wanted something more.”
Everything clicked when Simmons heard that College of the Sequoias (COS) was offering the intensive American Welding Society (AWS) SENSE program. It required that students commit to attending all-day classes, five days per week. SENSE is a comprehensive set of minimum standards and guidelines for welding education programs nationally. “I found the COS welding program appealing because I could gain a breadth of knowledge in just one semester,” said Simmons. “It covered SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW and Thermal Cutting, offered industry certifications, and included computer skills and safety training.”
Randy Emery, welding instructor, COS, and national AWS board member, explained that the college program does more than teach welding skills. “We prepare welding students for work,” said Emery. “The soft skills such as timeliness, preparedness, communication and teamwork are just as important as technical skills in making an impact on the job. Each week, welding faculty embeds critical traits for career success into the curriculum.”
| 
