Ozarks Technical Community College will offer two sections of its Industrial Welding Specialist course this fall.
The 20-week course starts August 2 and goes through December 17. Students who graduate from the program will earn a welding technology certificate of achievement and 34 credit hours. They can then apply that toward an associate degree in welding technology. According to OTC, graduates of the program will be ready to work in the stainless steel and aluminum welding industries.
School officials say this is the first time they’ve offered two sections. They say they’ve had industry partners contact them saying they are desperate for welders.
According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the average annual salary for a welder in Missouri is $40,580. MERIC predicts that there will be more than 1,200 openings for welders every year between now and 2028, OTC said in a news release.
