PHOENIX — The Refrigeration School, Inc. (RSI), the largest heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration (HVAC/R) school in the country, announced it will launch a Welding Specialist Program in collaboration with Tulsa Welding School in the Phoenix market, with classes expected to start Oct. 30. With capacity to accommodate 120 students, the expansion will help meet a growing industry demand and provide valuable training and career opportunities for interested individuals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Phoenix area is ranked among the top 10 cities for welder employment, with more than 4,000 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers employed though May 2016.
“Since 1965, we have trained more than 10,000 students for sustainable HVAC/R careers at RSI. As we continue to see the need for quality, skilled trade workers increase both locally and across the country, we are thrilled to expand our offerings to include welding,” said David Eaker, President at RSI. “Students interested in pursuing a welding career at RSI can expect the same leading, educational approach we have implemented for more than 50 years — hands-on training, taught by highly-qualified instructors, with a strong emphasis on technical competencies.”
A recent survey from RSI found that only 3.8 percent of current high school students plan to attend a skilled trade school after graduation and only 22 percent would be very likely to even consider a career in the skilled trade sector. However, the American Welding Society estimates there will be a shortage of 290,000 welders by 2020. Graduates of the Welding Specialist Program at RSI will enter the workforce to bridge the skills gap and carve out successful careers in these essential positions.
The Welding Specialist Program at RSI, utilizing Tulsa Welding School’s curriculum, will be primarily lab based and prepare graduates for entry-level positions in structural, pipe and pipeline, and thin alloy welding. Students will learn welding safety, torch cutting processes, proper arc welding equipment setup, important welding control techniques, fundamental welding processes and basic welding metallurgy.
