Mobile welding exhibit stops at Madison College, aims to spark interest in industry

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Madison College students had the opportunity to practice welding without any flames or smoke Thursday, thanks to a mobile welding exhibit.

The Careers in Welding Mobile Exhibit stopped at the campus to spark students’ interest in the welding industry. Students could enter a 53-foot-trailer where they could weld using virtual reality equipment.

Metal Fabricator Instructor at Madison College, Hannah Wolf, said while people were excited about trades programs in the 80s and 90s, over the years that interest has declined.

“In the 2000s and the 2010s, there was a lot more push for people to go and get a four-year degree, which means that a lot of those students that would’ve thought about a trade program, didn’t go in that direction.”

According to Madison College, the nation will need an additional 84,000 welders by next year.

“Every year people retire, and if we don’t have somebody, one person to fill that person who is retiring, now that’s a gap and we do that over 10 or 15 or 20 years and all of sudden 84,000 people that aren’t out there welding,” Wolf said.

Students at Madison College can earn their entry welding credentials in just one year. The school has one program dedicated to welding and one that focuses on metal fabrication.

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