Written by Jul DeGeus
With a shortage of welders on the horizon, and just in time for National Welding Month, Tidewater Tech now offers the Combination Maritime Welding Diploma Program.
Hampton Roads is one of our nation’s biggest shipping ports, and every day, certified welders keep the community’s ships seaworthy. With the American Welding Society forecasting a shortage of 375,000 welders by 2023, Tidewater Tech has expanded its program offerings to include the Combination Maritime Welding Diploma Program. Maritime welders focus their skills on building and repairing ships and boats.
“Enhancing our current Welding training to add the Maritime Welding program will greatlyincrease the skills and marketability of our graduates,” states Campus Executive Director Paula Massey. “Our commitment to community is strong and goes beyond the welding booth; by providing additional opportunities for our graduates to do more and be better, we see our Hampton Roads Region grow and strengthen.”
The Combination Maritime Welding diploma program teaches the fundamentals of welding. It provides each student with the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level employment in a career that utilizes metal fabrication and repair. The program focuses on specialized processes primarily utilized in the shipbuilding and repair industry, such as one-inch-thick carbon steel, Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) training on aluminum, which is commonly used in the maritime industry, and GTAW on carbon steel pip,e which focuses on the necessary skills needed to successfully perform pipe welding applications commonly found in maritime applications. Upon completion of the training, graduates are eligible for the following certifications:
- American Welding Society (AWS) 3G SMAW (Vertical)
- 3G FCAW (Vertical)
- 4G SMAW (Overhead)
- 4G FCAW (Overhead)Welding Certifications
- AWS Unlimited thickness cert (bridge test) – vertical
- AWS Unlimited thickness cert (bridge test) – horizontal for the 6G pipe Certification
About Tidewater Tech
Tidewater Tech is a career training school that specializes in trade vocations, including Auto Technician, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Building Maintenance and Repair, Welding, and Combination Maritime Welding. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance, and is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE). Tidewater Tech is certified to operate by SCHEV.
