College Receives Funding to Enhance National Welding Curriculum
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Pennsylvania College of Technology received a grant to continue as a Weld-Ed Regional Center in establishing the National Center for Welding Education and Training.
Penn College is one of 10 regional partners for the National Science Foundation project, which began in 2007 and is led by Lorain County (Ohio) Community College. Its region includes 12 states and the District of Columbia.
Penn College is using its $52,241 portion of the 2010-11 NSF Weld-Ed funding to present workshops for welding educators and the welding industry, to work with industry to develop internships, and to disseminate curriculum materials to high schools and community colleges. Penn College is leading Weld-Ed's development of a national career-pipeline system to ensure a smooth transition of students from high school to all levels of postsecondary education and the workforce.
On Nov. 2, the college will offer a session at the third annual Welding Educators Conference, to be held as part of FABTECH in Atlanta. During the session, the college will present the progress of Weld-Ed to date on establishing a national curriculum for welding technicians.
The National Center for Welding Education and Training was established in efforts to help alleviate the shortage of qualified welders in the workforce, including welding technicians and engineers. It focuses on standardizing welding education by determining best practices, which it will use to develop welding curriculum. The center also provides professional development for welding educators and works with industry to ensure education is meeting workforce needs.
For more information about welding and other academic programs offered by the School of Industrial and Engineering Technologies at Penn College, visit online or call 570-327-4520.
For general information about the college, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.