Weld, Weld, Weld… What Do We Have Here?

Students attending the Genesis: Pathways to Success Explore Welding Camp huddled around the table as their teacher, and mentor, hunched over igniting the torch. The sparks from the flame striking the metal flew through the air and crashed down, resting on the floor. I stared through my hood at the beckoning light, admiring the craftsmanship and handiwork required to beautifully fuse metal. The small, circular motion utilized by professionals to create a stable foundation for the bond clutched my gaze, forcing me to study these techniques. The master leaned back, and the light vanished. I was yanked out of my trance and flipped my hood up. The master handed the torch to his apprentice, unselfishly sharing the knowledge of his profession. 

Students were given the opportunity to work with welding instructors at the Southeastern Career Center where they cultivated necessary skills for the trade - beginning with a discussion about safety and equipment and subsequently applying those principles to the hands-on craft. Over the course of the day, students took turns cutting metal into segments, cleaning their cuts, welding them together with different joints, and grinding their final products. The camp served as an introduction to the basics of welding, and provided attendees with a view into the work of the trade. The hope of the camp organizers is that the camp provided its students with enough info to help them discern a potential future career path, or illuminate an area of personal interest.

James Bruce, an instructor of Welding 1 at the Southeastern Career Center, reflected on the purpose of the camp, saying, “To pique the interest of the kids to give welding a try and to see if it is a field they're interested in going into. There’s a lot of fields where robotics can’t weld, and it's very hands-on, so it provides a wide range of places they can find employment in.”

The hands-on approach was of great value to the campers, many of whom indicated that learning through ‘doing’, and applying classroom skills to simulated situations, gave them a glimpse of what these careers are really like. In a world where classroom knowledge is, for good reason, valued, the consensus among the participants was that engagement with welding was a refreshing change of pace from traditional disciplines of study.

For Cameron Kissel, a rising 8th grader from East Central Middle School, Explore Welding Camp affirmed his perceptions of the profession, where he shared, “In this camp, I learned how to bubble weld, which is a good skill for welding. Learning like this is valuable because welding is a good skill that you can use to earn a lot of money and turn it into a career.”

Genesis: Pathways to Success would like to thank the Southeastern Career Center and all of its volunteers for their time, wisdom, and passionate teaching. These up-close experiences were invaluable for every camper and allowed each to learn more about welding. We hope to offer this camp again in 2024!