Metal Fabrication and Joining Technologies
Overview
The Taconic High School Welding/Metal Fabrication Program effectively prepares students to enter the workforce as skilled welders, welder technicians, metal fabrication technicians and more. Skilled instructors teach a variety of welding processes, including oxy-fuel cutting and welding, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), as well as light plated and sheet metal fabrication. Students will also learn a number of metal fabrication practices including layout, forming, rolling, bending, punching, shearing and inspection, using the latest manual and semi-automatic equipment found in today’s fabrication facilities.
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VTE Framework: Metal Fabrication
Grade 9
First year students will be trained in shop & equipment safety, basic gas metal arc welding (GMAW), basic arc and oxy-acetylene cutting and welding, layout, cutting, fabrication, ornamental iron work and a variety of skill assessment projects. Students will be trained to operate the box and pan brake, hydraulic shear, an ironworker, plasmacam cutting system, drill press, tilt and vertical band saws, and a variety of hand power tools.
Grade 10
Second year students will be trained in shop and equipment safety, intermediate gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and basic pipe welding. They will also be instructed on how to perform oxyacetylene cutting, welding and brazing, plasma cutting, ornamental iron work and school, lab and skill assessment projects. Students will use the hydraulic shear, the box and pan brake, introduction and limited training/use of the 100 ton press brake, the ironworker and the drill press in the fabrication of projects, using sketches or blueprints. Related classroom instruction will consist of math and basic metallurgy. Grade 10 students have an opportunity to earn their Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA-10) Certification.
Grade 11
Third year students will be trained in shop safety, advanced gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), advanced shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), pipe welding, advanced gas metal arc welding (GMAW), resistance welding, semi-automatic welding, automatic cutting, steel layout and blueprint reading. Students will also be trained on the 100 ton hydraulic press brake, power roller and the pipe and tubing bender. There will also be an opportunity for cooperative placement later in their junior year.
Grade 12
The primary focus for senior year is to have the student engage in the cooperative experience. By engaging in cooperative placement, the student will possibly have a company willing to hire him/her directly upon graduation as a full-time employee. For those students who do not meet the cooperative requirements, there is a rigid curriculum of large scale fabrication projects, welding projects and certifications using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and many other processes.
Training/ Skills You will Learn:
• Safety procedures
• Use of hand and power tools
• Use of manual equipment
• Blueprint reading
• Drafting and layout
• OSHA-10 (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Career Opportunities in Metal Fabrication/Entry Level Occupations
- Apprentice fabricator
- Arc welder
- Iron worker
- Shear operator
With Experience and/or Advanced Training
- Heating and ventilating air conditioning specialist
- Shop owner
- Welding Engineer
- Welding Inspector
- Millwright
Welder Salary
Welders in the United States can earn an average of $17.52 per hour nationwide. Final cash compensation to welders varies from around $27,000 to approximately $66,000; choice pay grades include potential for bonuses and profit sharing as high as $5,000 and $8,000, respectively. Geographic location is the main element affecting pay for this group—the company and tenure are driving factors as well. Health benefits are not claimed by all—slightly less than one-third lack any form of coverage—but more than half have medical insurance and just over one-half have dental too. Work is enjoyable for welders, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction.