Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Huntington North High School have expanded their welding dual-enrollment program to meet Huntington’s high industry demand for welders. In fall 2019, Huntington North High School introduced welding into their technical education offering as part of a dual enrollment program with Ivy Tech Fort Wayne. Due to workforce demand and student interest, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne has hired an instructor to provide welding instruction at Huntington North High School on a full-time basis.
“The welding program partnership between Ivy Tech and Huntington Schools is a wonderful asset to our community,” says Tiffanney Drummond, Director of Career & Technical Education at Huntington North and Director of the Huntington County Community Learning Center. “We are locally training our future workforce to the same standards as industry, before they even leave high school. This program creates a graduation pathway completer and can help them earn a Technical Honors diploma. It is allowing students to pursue their passion and get a jump start on their future!”
There are currently 19 Huntington North students enrolled in the program, which takes place in the Huntington County Community Learning Center (HLC). After two years of instruction in the welding program, these students will earn a certification in structural welding technology. These 21 credit hours can then seamlessly transfer toward an associate degree at Ivy Tech or lead directly to a skilled, high wage job.
“We’re extremely pleased to expand this program and meet the demand for skilled welders in Huntington County,” says Darrel Kesler, Dean of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science. “There are so many opportunities for the welding students, including industrial certifications embedded within the courses and three or more AWS certifications. These students will be job ready right after high school graduation and from there, the possibilities are limitless.”
For more information contact Ivy Tech Fort Wayne Welding Instructor Tim Sorg at tsorg5@ivytech.edu or Tiffanney Drummond at TDrummond@hccsc.k12.in.us.
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