MVHS launches new welding lab

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Mt. Vernon High School students are able to earn certificates and college credits in a new welding program.

Submitted photo

FORTVILLE — Mt. Vernon High School has developed a new welding lab and program, with 24 students this fall gaining skills that will lead to career opportunities and dual credit at Ivy Tech Community College.

Over the summer, an underutilized space at the high school was transformed into a modern welding lab. The result is a state-of-the-art space in which students will receive training and earn 12 Ivy Tech College dual credits and American Welding Society (AWS) certifications that could launch careers close to home.

Updating the lab included removing a partition wall, cleaning and painting, dropping a complex maze of wiring and conduits, installing LED lighting, building 12 welding booths and installing a safe, exterior distributor to feed gas lines— all governed by a single shutoff valve to enhance safety.

While finishing touches are still being applied, the welding lab is up and running with teacher Jason Wiley instructing students.

By completing Mt. Vernon’s welding course sequence, students can earn an American Welding Society SENSE specialized welding certificate, indicating to prospective employers their readiness to learn and work and creating a potential advantage for graduates in both pay and job security.

Students also can earn an OSHA 10 card, proving to employers that they completed 10 hours of OSHA-authorized training on critical workplace safety topics. Entry-level workers with this credential have industry-specific knowledge and skills that help prevent injuries and keep workplaces safe and productive.

The new welding booths enable students to learn shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding. In the second and capstone year of the two-year welding program, students will be eligible for internships and apprenticeships that will give them a further boost toward earning their place in the workforce once they graduate.

Community partnerships were key in developing the program. Assistant Principal Stan Wilkison worked closely with the J. Everett Light Career Center, which serves 13 central Indiana schools. Mt. Vernon High School also has received assistance from Lincoln Electric, Awning Innovations, Lennox, the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, and Fortville Feeders. While the lab is operational, MVHS still has a wish list and is still seeking grants and business partners to add even more features. Business sponsorships are available. Local businesses can partner in an array of levels, such as serving as a guest speaker, serving on the advisory board, accepting student interns or investing financially via booth sponsorship. MVHS’s goal is to have each booth sponsored with an LED signage to recognize the local business.

For more information, contact Wilkison at [email protected] or by phone at (317) 485-3131, Ext. 1788.