WWB Supporting Schools, Colleges and Institutes

Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology

Arizona Western College

www.azwestern.edu  

Yuma Arizona Celebrating

40 years in welding education. 

1967-1968 school year Arizona Western College began offering an associates of applied science degree in welding technology.  Plans are underway to mark this mile stone and pay tribute to the people who have made this one of the best and longest lasting programs of study in the world.  Arizona Western College as partner in education with Welders Without Borders has sponsored educational programs for students on its main campus in Yuma, Arizona. 

Arizona Western College is the home of the Matadors.   Go Western. GO MATADORS!!!

For general information regarding educational opportunities for all students including international students at AWC contact the office of Coordinator of International Programs or the Registrar listed below:

ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE

2020 South Avenue 8E

Mail to:  PO Box 929

Yuma, AZ   85366-0929

Phone:  (928) 317-6000

Fall 2008

The AWS Welding Show in Lav Vegas was an opportunity to provide service to the AWS Skills Competiton Committee.  It was great to see the young people compete who have done so much practice to earn a place at this event.  Also this fall my students organized themselves into a student chapter of the American Welding Society.  We are looking forward to the many positive aspects this will add to our program. 

Summer 2008

Its been a summer to remember.  Things got off to a fast start with a "Some Like It Hot" in Yuma Arizona summer basic SMAW course with a great group of learners.  After that we were off to a series of road trips.  First was the SkillsUSA national skills competition with some of the best students from our college.  We had a great competition in several speach contest and automotive collision repair.  Its always great to be at this event (four years in a row) with these students.  Back home it was off to San Diego to observe for a second year in a row the great instructor training program by the Ironworkders Union.  I am proud to be able to participate and even prouder to know some of my students are members of locals in several states adding to the legacy of these American Ironworkers and to have had a part in these young men's careers.  After San Dieog it was off to Tucson Arizona to present a workshop on AWS SENSE standards in education.  This program was for secondary and post secondary attendees. 

After Tucson I traded in my bags for a fresh set and headed to the airport for a flight to Ketchikan Alaska and the famous island where the "bridge to somewhere" never got built.  But let me tell you there is a dedicted group of welding professionals there at Alaska Shipping and Dry Dock.  I had the opportunity to travel there to watch some students I had training earlier in the year at work on an E class U.S. Navy ship.  Its a unique design that is very demanding.  It was good to see these welders from our college turning what they had learned into a pay check.  This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (believe me I have been to a few).  After my trip to Alaska I traveled to Gainsville Florida to attend the NCCER master trainer program ( www.nccer.org ).  We are heavily vested in this standardized training program.   This is how my summer went.  Travel for welding, travel to welding, travel because some of us love this industry in all its variety.  Yep, I am one lucky welder.  No borders means having the skills, experience and education to go where others of like minds are working together to get what the rest of the world needs doing. 

I am back at our community college in Yuma Arizona working with some of the greatest young people in the world.  Young people who are dedicated to the art and science of welding technology.  All of us have to make a living but its how you make it that makes the difference. 

Summer 2007

Professor Colton will co present at the 29th annual NISOD(www.nisod.org)  conference in Austin Texas May 21st with Bertha Avila Tech Prep Director and Carmen Faucon Career Development Director of Arizona Western College(www.azwestern.edu) in Yuma Arizona.  They will share the activities and partnerships that helped to create the "Build the Dream" career technical symposium held last October at the AWC campus in Yuma Arizona as part of the 2006 "Welders Without Borders" bi-annual event. 

Also this summer Professor Colton will participate with other educators to meet and work with members of the Miller Electric Company's (http://millerwelds.com) education advisory board in Appleton Wisconsin during the month of June.

 Professor Colton is very happy to also be able to travel to the SkillsUSA National Conference(www.skillsusa.org)  in Kansas City with two of his students to compete at this prestigious event. 

 Following this program Professor Colton has plans to return to his home in Arizona and resume his work with students at the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology and to make plans for its 40th year in welding education. 

Professor Colton invites welders to write him and share their stories of the road and how they are working to change lives and help build the future of our industry.  Doing our part to make the world a better place one welder at a time.

Fall 2006

"Welders Without Borders" 2006 Friday October 20th was hosted at the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology in Yuma Arizona,  Professor Samuel Colton program coordinator supported by the AWC SkillsUSA student organization a.k.a AWC VICA and other volunteers.  Program theme "Build The Dream" the making of the Harley-Davidson V-Rod.  Mr. Jeff Majors H-D Welding Staff Engineer from the Willie G. Davidson Design Division presented.  Focus was welding processes, equipment and procedures for production and building “The Dream" a dream bike like the V-rod.  This education program concentrated on the skills and education it takes to build the American dream through hard work and innovation ingredients found in the American legend, the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company.

Members of the welding industry participated with demonstrations by key persons as well as support in time and kind.  A full article detailing the event appears in the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology World of Welding Winter Issue.  Photographs of the event can be found on the Arizona Western College photo archive.

 Please direct comments or questions regarding this program to Professor Samuel Colton at:   welderswithoutborders@yahoo.com or samuel.colton@azwestern.edu or call the professor on his main campus office phone at 928-344-7570

 Welders Without Borders is proud to welcome Odessa College Welding Training Center and its faculty Professor Jim Mosman's contributions as a welding educator.  We have posted pictures of the Odessa Training Center on the photo page.  Professor Mosman's represents the spirit of a global perspective in training welders to make the world a better place and joins our ranks as a "Welder Without Borders".  We welcome Odessa College Welding Training Center and look forward to hearing more about the great work they are doing.

Mon, 18 Feb 2008

Professor Colton,

   I am proud to report that Odessa College in Odessa, TX received a DOL grant last January for $1.75 million. We have utilized these funds to build an additional welding lab during the first year and have started training programs this January that will run for the next two years. We are offering fast paced 8 week classes through our Continuing Ed Dept. that cover basic welding fundamentals in an effort to put a minimum of 480 entry level welders into the workforce. We are offering classes in the morning and evenings. The evening classes are bilingual. The new lab has 30 stations equipped with 20 Lincoln V-275 and 10 V-350 multi-process machines. We also put in 2 Lincoln fume extraction systems. I have attached a couple of pictures of our lab.

This is in addition to our regular credit program which has 3 labs and averages 100 students per semester.

     As I mentioned to you a while back, I am very interested in working with you on the Welders Without Borders project. We have many students from the border towns near Mexico. My mission is to train welders for world wide employment, while also filling the needs of our local industry. If you have made your logo into a patch, I would be interested in purchasing some of them. I also really like your new website; it is easy to navigate and explains what you are doing.

     We are planning on making it out for the AWS show in Las Vegas next fall, maybe we will be able to meet there. Have you thought about offering an education session there to explain what you are doing?

Have a great day and watch your eyes!

Jim Mosman

Odessa College Welding Training Center

Coordinator

http://www.odessa.edu/dept/welding/