New Welding Center at CPTC to be Christened Soon
June 29, 2017 08:19 AM
“We can’t supply welders fast enough,’ said Eva Byrd, project manager at Coastal Pines Technical College. “There is an incredibly high demand for welders, and businesses are hiring our students as soon as they are ready.”
Byrd said a local man who does automotive work has told the school, “give me welders and I can train them for the rest.”
A new building at the college will be pressed into service with the start of the fall semester. Building 3000 has classroom and lab space for information systems technology and welding, plus administrative offices and a student lounge area.
The success of information technology programs at Coastal Pines is legendary. Quite a number of adult and high school dual-enrollment students have gained skills and knowledge — and jobs — by attending CPTC, said Jason Strickland, dean for academic affairs.
Welding is a skill that is in high demand, not just locally, but nationwide. Amanda Morris, vice president for academic affairs, was proud to declare the new welding facilities will be about as good as can be found in Georgia. The current program is successful — the new phase, beginning in August, will five CPTC the capacity to produce double the number of welders.
Doug Furman, the lead instructor for all of CPTC, and Ryan Deal are the instructors at the Waycross campus. On a recent tour, they exhibited great enthusiasm for what they will work with soon, reciting a long list of state-of-the-art systems installed in the new building.
The current enrollment of 45-50 students per semester can be doubled. They are working with one classroom, and instructors work one-day on and one-day off. Furman said they will soon be holding simultaneous classes with “everything being taught, literally, all the time.”
Looking through large classroom windows, students will peer into the 22-bay welding area, up from the current 16 and much more spacious.
“We are pleased they have installed LED lighting and welders with inverter technology, which reduces the power consumption and makes us environmentally friendly and cost-effective,” Furman said. “Air runs through a scrubber — no fumes. Vacuums remove metal shavings from grinding. This is far above OSHA standards.”
Inside the space is a chemical removing shower, student lockers for storage of safety equipment and a new Baileigh bending machine. Just through a doorway is a spacious covered patio where grinding and cutting of metal can take place and a storage area for metal.
When students and faculty enter the building’s front door they immediately four administrative offices and a student lounge area. Between those and the welding classrooms is the information systems technology space. This is also comprised of two large classrooms and a computer building room. The floors and table where computer work is done are static free, making static pads unnecessary.
“We are happy to share our growth with the community,” said Strickland. “We hope lots of people hear about out programs and sign up to learn and meet the demand for skilled employees in the community.”
Article & Photo by John Scott Cooper / Staff Writer, Waycross Journal Herald
Top Photo: Coastal Pines Technical College welding instructors Ryan Deal (left) and Doug Furman take a look at a Baileigh bender inside the unfinished welding space in the school’s new building.
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