Angelina College will receive more than $330,000 from the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program. This grant will allow the college to purchase new equipment and replace aging equipment for welding courses used in its Welding Technology associate degree and certificate programs. These courses are in great demand because of the need for welders in the East Texas region.
Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas reports that the manufacturing and industry sector, which includes welders, is in the top six industry sectors in East Texas. The purchase of the new equipment will allow AC to enroll up to 20 students per welding course section on its main campus in Lufkin. Forty more students per semester will be able to enroll in welding courses because of the funding.
The new equipment includes 10 Clean Air LEAF dual weld station ductless welding booths and 20 Miller PipeWorx welding machines. The machines are designed for all types of welding processes including shield metal arc welding pipe welding, flux-cored, gas metal arc welding, and gas tungsten arc welding. Along with the welding machines and booths, a Ridgid beveling machine is included.
This machine will allow Angelina College to train students to use a safer method for cutting and beveling metal. The equipment will be in place and ready for use for the spring 2017 semester. The JET program awards $10 million biannually to help public community and technical colleges, and independent school districts (ISDs) defray career and technical education program startup costs. This program will allow AC to grow the partnerships with its 45 area ISDs in the college service area and more specifically the six area independent school districts in Angelina County to offer training in welding to high school juniors and seniors.
High school students are able to earn a Level 1 Basic Certificate in Welding Technology while they attend high school. Upon graduating, those students will have the basic skills needed for entry level employment or continued skills training in the intermediate welding certificate and/or the associate welding degree.
For more information about the welding programs at Angelina College, contact the Technology and Workforce Division at (936) 633-5246. For more information about the JET grant program, contact Janice Huffman, workforce development coordinator, at jhuffman@angelina.edu.
