Online Enrollment

Welders join objects together by applying heat or pressure. Skilled welders have a thorough knowledge of welding principals and metals. They use blueprints and drawings to build anything from ships to cars to bridges. Welders are also crucial in maintaining power plants and the entire piping industry of all types and have the opportunity to travel throughout the year.

AWS Level 1: 500 class hours
(GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, SMAW, Fillet Welds, Open Butt Plate Welds)
Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
*Classes begin the first Tuesday in September
Time: 8:00am – 12:00pm (all days)
Tuition: $10,500
Program Length: AWS Certification (about 42 weeks)

Instructor Bios

Steven Hilliker

• 41 years welding experience
• Nuclear Welder
• Chemical Industry Piping and Structural Welder
• CWI / CWE / ASME B31.3 SG-E Member

Mike Williams

• 30+ years as a Journeyman Multi-Trade Pipe Welder/Fitter/Millwright at Dow Corning
• Procedures test welder for NRC Nuclear Regulator Commission
• Graduate of Delta College, Pipe Welding Specialist

Kathy Warren

•  20+ years as a Journeyman Pipefitter/Welder at Dow Corning.
• Certified in stick, mig, and tig welding.

Modules

This program provides training and AWS certification in the most common welding processes such as MIG(GMAW), TIC(GTAW), Flux-Core(FCAW), Stick(SMAW), Fillet Welds, and Open Butt Plate Welds. Participants who complete the program are certified as AWS Level-1 Welders. A graduate Level-1 Entry Welder will be able to perform minor external repairs to equipment and accessories in all processes, and setup and perform:

• Stick(SMAW) operations making fillet and groove welds in all positions within a limited thickness range on carbon steel
• MIG(Gas Metal Arc Welding) is short circuit transfer operations, making fillet and groove welds in all positions within a limited thickness ranged on carbon steel. Gas Metal Arc Welding (spray transfer) operations making fillet and groove welds in limited positions within a limited thickness range on carbon steel.
• Flux-Core(FCAW-SS/GS) operations making fillet and groove welds in all positions within a limited thickness range on carbon steel.
• Tig(GTAW) operations making fillet and groove welds in all positions within a limited thickness range on carbon steel, and in limited positions within a limited thickness range of austenitic stainless steel and aluminum.

Effective Immediately – As of July 2019, all programs/classes/certifications offered by The Greater Michigan Construction Academy, in association with welding, are credited by The American Welding Society (AWS).