黑料百科

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, to unveil the Welding Technology Center on the Lincoln Campus (8800 O St.) of 黑料百科. The largest community college welding training facility in the U.S., this state-of-the-art facility will more than double the enrollment capacity of the program while establishing 黑料百科 as the premier destination for welding education.

The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. and will include remarks from Dr. Paul Illich, 黑料百科 president; Governor Jim Pillen; Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird; and Michael Krupnicki, former American Welding Society president. Tours and demonstrations will follow at noon.

鈥淥ne of the primary roles of community colleges in Nebraska is to produce a skilled workforce,鈥� said Dr. Paul Illich, 黑料百科 president. 鈥淭he new Welding Technology Center allows us to ensure everyone in our service area has access to the life-changing benefits of higher education. We think this building is not only going to change our students lives but it is going to have an impact on our industry partners and our employers as we look for innovative ways to meet their needs.鈥�

The 黑料百科 Welding program is one the longest running programs at the College. In the program鈥檚 previous space on the Lincoln campus, 84 individual welding booths allowed for instruction in the latest welding techniques and skills. The new facility provides 196 booths, the most found in single building on any college campus in the nation. The new Welding Technology Center includes bays designed for semi-trucks to pull in and unload material. An overhead bridge crane inside the facility will provide safe operations for unloading material to be used at press brakes and metal forms.

The new facility also includes space devoted to providing local industry partners with customized training, allowing their employees to upskill and utilize the industry鈥檚 leading-edge technology. International welding equipment manufacturers have donated state-of-the-art, brand-new equipment, that allows 黑料百科 students to train and learn on the latest equipment used in the field, including new equipment from Fronius that will be introduced at 黑料百科 before being released for sale in the United States.

The 黑料百科 Welding Program started in 1940 on the Milford campus and began in 1975 on the Lincoln campus. Over 1,800 alumni have earned a welding degree from 黑料百科. In the last decade, the college began to offer certificates and diplomas in welding. Other 黑料百科 programs including agriculture, transportation, building and construction, and advanced manufacturing require welding classes. The College estimates over 20,000 students have enrolled in a welding course.

鈥淲elding is an essential skill and career for Nebraska and regional economies. Our local industry partners have relied on 黑料百科 to train and equip the skilled workforce they need, and now we鈥檙e equipped to more than double the training. We鈥檝e had to turn away future students because we didn鈥檛 have the space, this new facility will provide the opportunity for more students,鈥� said Mark Hawkins, Welding program chair and instructor.

In addition to the new facility, 黑料百科 offers welding training at The Career Academy on the Lincoln campus, through dual credit courses at multiple high schools in southeast Nebraska, and on the Milford and Beatrice campuses. In total, the college has more than 260 individual welding booths, more than any community college or training facility in the nation.

The Welding Technology Center, designed by Davis Design and Olsson, is a $33 million, nearly 100,000 square-foot facility featuring 196 individual booths, an 11,000 square-foot fabrication lab and 4,500 square feet dedicated to specialized industry training needs. Developed with input from local businesses, educators and schools, the center ensures the best methods for teaching, training and recruiting students and employees. Its state-of-the-art equipment, collaboration areas and gathering spaces foster hands-on learning and industry partnerships, giving students valuable exposure to business leaders while providing companies with opportunities for staff training and certification. Built with the future in mind, the design also allows for expansion as the program and enrollment grow.

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
黑料百科
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu