Dickinson State University (DSU), in conjunction with local businesses, has added a Welding Technology certificate program to its curriculum this fall. This one-year program covers 30 credit hours and includes courses such as Welding Principles and Basic Metallurgy. In addition to class time, students must complete 20 welding hours per semester, which they can do using DSU’s 10 new welders and booths in the Agricultural Building.

In a community with many oil and steel businesses, companies like Steffes are in desperate need of welders and have decided to invest in a welding certificate program at DSU. Together with the University, they worked on creating a program that would allow them to hire trained and certified workers rather than training them internally. Kristal Fields, a DSU graduate and training specialist at Steffes explained that the company guides the welding certificate curriculum with their expertise. “Our main goal is to make trades available to students on a faster track and to show that students should go to school for what they are interested in,” said Fields.

A welding certificate benefits local companies in need of qualified employees and DSU students. According to Career Outlook, the average starting salary is anywhere from $41,700 to $57,300. In North Dakota alone, there are around 165 job openings in the field per year, which makes it easy to find a job.

Mason Faulk, who is a freshman and part of the Blue Hawk football team is very excited that DSU added the welding certificate program. After he found out about it, he gladly switched his major. “Welding was always something I was interested in, and I want to make it my career,” stated Faulk. “After having worked at a welding business in my hometown of Shepherd, Montana, I hope to own my own welding business one day.”

Additionally, DSU is collaborating with the North Dakota Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center to provide scholarships. It is planned to add 15 to 20 booths and welders north of town at the CTE building. The University is also working with Dickinson Public Schools so that current high school students as well as Blue Hawks can enroll in the welding program.

For more information, contact Dr. Chip Poland, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Studies at Dickinson State at Chip.Poland@dickinsonstate.edu or 701-483-2185.