| Show f Welders Welder's income jumps despite problems in program Cleova Williams Feature Editor ITH sparks bouncing WITH off his weld Lyle Hoffman Hoffman Hoffman Hof Hof- concentrated on joining joining joining join join- ing the metal pieces Someone Some one must be staying awake nights dreaming up difficult joints for the VICA competition tion he thought Lyle won VICAs VICA's welding competition at and graduates inJune inJune in inJune June as a pipe welder and fit fit- ter He can use his skills in fabrication construction and repairing metal tures His income has already jumped from an hour to I had thought about going back to school but I needed to get a good job so Laura and I could get married I couldn't decide what wha t I wanted to do Laura was 17 and Lyle was 20 They didn't want to wait any longer His neighbor told him about a job at the airport handling ground support equipment and he took it The job had limits I couldn't go very far When Laura was 6 months pregnant with Justin Lyle was laid offIt offIt off It lilt was the best thing that had ever happened to me but Laura was scared The layoff came early in Sept 1988 and Lyle started school before the month was out On the airport job he had done some welding and found he liked it He registered for the welding program program program pro pro- gram and five quarters later won the VICA competition The liThe first year was pretty tough Lyle had a family to support and tuition to come up with One quarter he got the Deans Dean's scholarship but the rest of the time he paid for his own schooling After two quarters in the program he got his first job as asa asa asa a welder with a big jump in pay Lyle worked at several shops over the next year and anda a half He said Most welding shops are dirty messy places They have extremely high ceilings the light is weak by bythe bythe bythe the time it gets down to the work stations Scraps of metal clutter the floor The shops are dark filthy places and the themen themen themen men are pushed hard to get their fittings done quickly In the last year Lyle has finally obtained a job at a good shop He is working at Eaton Kenway Incorporated where they are more interested interested interested inter inter- ested in putting out quality work than shoving quantity through The shop is cleaner and safer with adequate light light- ing Lyle interviewed for jobs repeatedly The class that helped prepare him the most to land a new job was Com Corn lID It lilt taught me interviewing interviewing interviewing interview interview- ing and resume skills The welding program taught Lyle many new skills but he avoids putting on his resume The liThe welding program has a bad reputation Welders that come out of it know a lot but arent aren't good welders Lyle had to learn too many things at athis athis athis his jobs because they weren't taught in school Since the welding program was first started It lilt has gone down hill The instructors dont don't keep up with new tech tech- Local men from the industry of welding are on a apanel apanel apanel panel to keep the welding department informed of changes and needs in the field The liThe panel has been telling them for years that when they hire students students students stu stu- dents there are too many things they dont don't know Were taught how to tomake tomake tomake make steel which well we'll never need to know but were we're not taught enough about repairing repairing repairing repair repair- ing our own mistakes Its It's impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible to lay a perfect weld down every time Were We're taught some theory on heat treating steel but we haven't had any on hands-on time working working working work work- ing with it Lyle has to know exactly how heat is is going to affect what hat he is working on Students need to learn practical cal things about metallurgy When Lyle took practical welding tests at shops where he was applying for jobs he found over and over that he was being tested on skills and processes that hadn't been covered at school Im getting getting getting get get- ting the highest degree I can get in welding but it doesn't cover new technology While Ive I've been worl working ing and going to school Laura has been stuck in the house Its It's her turn to get out Ive I've got a good job at night so now she can go to school during the day Ill I'll watch the kids V JJ 1 1 a r w V n j 4 r v s y Lyle Hoffman graduates from the welding department and Laura get her turn to attend school at Tre Their jr children are Justin 18 months and Jessica three |
