Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Bloomfield said July 22 it is putting some of its top instructors to work as it begins training students in its 36-week Welding Technology Training Program.
According to recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it is projected there will be more than 488,000 job openings for welders by the year 2028, and these numbers could climb even higher with massive federal infrastructure spending likely in coming months and years.
Bloomfield’s welding program is UTI’s seventh, with six campuses having launched successful programs in recent years. The program includes hands-on training and instruction through a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with Lincoln Electric.
Despite the many opportunities for trained welders there remains a critical shortage of them. The American Welding Society warns that the industry will experience a shortfall of more than 375,000 welders by 2023. Some of this shortfall appears to be driven by the stigma that skilled trades like welding lack the prestige of jobs that might require a four-year degree.
Cordero
Students enrolled in the program will benefit from the expertise of instructors like Cesar Cordero, who will teach the hard and soft skills needed for welding careers in industries ranging from automotive fabrication to construction to aerospace.
Cordero graduated from UTI Exton in Pennsylvania as an automotive student. His many years working in the automotive industry made him integral to rolling out new automotive technician courses at UTI Bloomfield. Now he brings more than 12 years of welding experience to students at the school. Cordero worked as a structural welder on the Freedom Tower in New York City, and his skillset also enables him to pursue his passion for making tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding art.
“Trained welders are needed in virtually every industry,” said Cordero. “They are able to work on everything from automobile fabrication to almost any kind of manufacturing. You can’t build bridges, highways, office buildings, pipelines, power plants, vehicles, and spacecraft without welders—they are literally the backbone of our economy. I’m proud to be able to teach my expertise to a new generation who will see countless opportunities as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic.”
You can’t build bridges, highways, office buildings, pipelines, power plants, vehicles, and spacecraft without welders—they are literally the backbone of our economy.
– UTI Bloomfield instructor Cesar Cordero
UTI Bloomfield welding instructor Emmanuel Sangale notes that well-trained welders acquire a high degree of technical skills that open many job opportunities available only to them. Sangale’s more than nine years in welding began when he worked on a construction site fresh out of vocational school.
Sangale
“I saw other people welding and I realized that was what I wanted to do,” Sangale said. His career in welding has seen him work on every different welding process, particularly on structural welding and fabrication. “If you enjoy building things and working with your hands you may never want to put down a welding stick once you pick it up,” he added.
“We’re grateful that highly experienced and passionate instructors like Cesar and Emmanuel are welcoming our first crop of welding students,” said UTI Bloomfield Campus President Shawn Alexander. “Partnering with employers and industries has been a key building block to UTI’s success. Welding complements our core technician programs and will give our students and graduates opportunities in an even greater range of industries and employers across the region.”
