Advanced Pipe Welding
           
Wendy Walden:            Now changing gears a little bit, advanced pipe welding. This is a very exciting program which I'm just excited about. I 'm bouncing off the wall actually, about this program. And the advanced pipe welding program is for somebody who has had some experience in welding and perhaps for someone that wants to further expand their career within welding. Talk about that a little bit.

           
Jack Wilson:                        We take them through the standards that's by code AWAS, ASME section 9 codes. We bring them up to standards of the nuclear codes. And they can leave their school going out as certified pipe wldrs making the big bucks.

           
Wendy Walden:            Outstanding. That is wonderful, and I think I was reading some place some stats that by the year 2012, just to piggy back on what you said, is that there should be about a million jobs in welding as a result of economic development. So there's a lot of good opportunities out there. What is the length of the Advanced pipe welding program?

           
Jack Wilson:                        This program is very unique because it is an open  entry, open exit program. You can come in when we have an opening and you come in at your skill level. We'll give you a test to evaluate your skill level. Start you at your present skill level and move forward. It's not a program where everybody starts in September and completes in December.

           
Wendy Walden:           Got you.

           
Jack Wilson:                        You progress at your own rate of speed and once you've reached these certain objectives then you go to work with a construction company.

           
Wendy Walden:            That's right.

           
Jack Wilson:                        Some people will be here two weeks others will be here four months.

           
Wendy Walden:            So it all depends on your level of learning and how fast you can progress within the program. That's really good. The cost of the program is very minimal also, I might add.

           
Jack Wilson:                        Very minimal.

           
Wendy Walden:            Very minimal, so that's really a good thing. Now Greenville Tech  and Fluor enterprises has a really good relationship and partnership. And Fluor of course enterprises being one of the world's largest construction, engineering and procurement company among other things. We have a relationship where we're looking for qualified welders and experienced welders. Let's talk about that a little bit, because this too also excites me.

           
Jack Wilson:                        Okay, yeah, probably elven years ago Fluor closed there welding schools. So we've got a contract with Fluor to train their welders and we've been training them for the last elven years. We train them per code and per Fluor's job site needs. So these student's that come in to this program so sign an agreement that they'll go to work for Fluor, that they're willing to travel, and they go through the same codes we were speaking of a while ago. Getting right up to nuclear standard so they can go anywhere in the nation or even internationally as a PAC welder and the pay is very high.

           
Wendy Walden:           Very good pay, very lucrative pay by the way. Now also, what are some of the prerequisites to joining the Advanced pipe Welding class?
           
Jack Wilson:                        First off, you do have to pass the drug test. Second, you do need a drivers license. Because you're going to be working construction and you need to be able to travel. And then you do need to have some prior welding experience to get into the program.
           
Wendy Walden:            Right, now once you go through it and you've demonstrated that you can successfully master what is being taught, you can eventually qualify again for the positions that Fluor may have to offer.
           
Jack Wilson:                        Yes.
           
Wendy Walden:           And again you have to be willing to travel, relocate, and with that of course it is a very lucrative salary so if you're really interested in pipe welding and looking to spread your wings a little bit this is a golden opportunity for people.
           
Jack Wilson:                        Oh yes. It certainly is.
           
Wendy Walden:            Anything else you want to share about the Advanced Pipe Welding, I know it's a wonderful program, and we just have to get the word out there to folks that, you know, jobs exist, opportunities are there. We've got the means to provide the skills and the training and to get people out there and get them all charged up. Anythings else we can share with viewers about the program.
           
Jack Wilson:                        Well, you know, it's such great program and especially for young people getting into the construction industry. There are so many of your high school students that are not going on to college for whatever reason and there's a need in the construction industry for all crafts people. If a person comes out of a high school welding program, and goes into say the Fluor program to upgrade. You can take an eighteen year old person, straight out of high school, give them five months of training basically free. They can leave that school and go out into the work place and make sixty thousand or seventy thousand dollars a year straight out of school being seventeen years old.
           
Wendy Walden:            Wow.
           
Jack Wilson:                        So, and with a high school education or even going on to get an Associate degree you can climb the ladder really quickly in the construction industry.
           
Wendy Walden:            Sounds like I should probably take some construction training myself.
           
Jack Wilson:                        Well, I'm thinking about it myself. (laughing)
           
Wendy Walden:            (laughing) That is wonderful, well it sounds like it's a really great program. And again we just have to do a really good job of getting the word out there in the community that, you know, these are really lucrative paying positions. And again by the year 2012 we're expecting at least a million jobs, available jobs for welding in the construction industry.  So again we've just got to get the word out there as best as we can. If someone is interested in learning more about the welding, how do they do that?
           
Jack Wilson:                        They can call my number, at 864-228-5024 or they can call 228-5055.
           
Wendy Walden:           And ask for?
           
Jack Wilson:                        Jack Wilson,
           
Wendy Walden:           Great.
           
Jack Wilson:                        And if I'm not there I'll return your call as quick as I get it, because we want to bring the students in and start training them.
           
Wendy Walden:           And you also have some literature that you can also mail to students as well.
           
Jack Wilson:                        Yes, we certainly do.
           
Wendy Walden:           That is wonderful, well you've heard it all here regarding our welding program. If you're interested in learning more you can certainly visit us on line at gtbmc.com or you can call Jack, and Jack what's that number once more?
           
Jack Wilson:                        864-228-5024
           
Wendy Walden:            Or you can call our general number at the Buck Mickel Center which is 864-250-8800 and we'll be happy to send you any literature regarding the welding program. That's going to do it for this addition of Momentum, we'll see you next time.