VGCC Welding Students Again Have 100% Certification Rate

The graduating welding students at Vance-Granville Community College have again scored 100 percent on the national certification exam.

The nine day students and the seven evening students who will complete the welding program Aug. 5 and graduate Aug. 9 took what is called a vertical unlimited groove test, the day students on July 21 and the evening class on July 23. Michael McCraw, laboratory supervisor of Professional Service Industries Inc. of Greensboro, the lab appointed by the state to administer the test, reported that all 16 successfully completed it.

“The welding program at Vance-Granville Community College continues to excel in providing excellent welders with more than 95 percent of the graduates still working in the welding field,” McCraw said.

Now qualified to become members of the American Welding Society are day class members Kevin P. Braswell of Kittrell, Jonathan D. Hayes and Clayton G. Mitchell, both of Henderson, Kelvin A. Evans and Tracee L. Harris, both of Oxford, Darrell Branch of Stem, James T. Reese of Manson, Jonathan E. Rooker of Norlina, and Lamar Robbins of Eustis, Fla.

Members of the successful evening class are Shawn Gillespie of Kittrell, Terrence Foster, Norris Steed, Andy Daugherty and Jeff Renn, all of Henderson, Thomas Green of Oxford and Mike Byrd of Creedmoor.

Bill Jones, VGCC welding program head/instructor, teaches the day classes, and Wilbur Slaughter is the evening instructor.

Jones reported that 464 students have been certified since the program began in 1972. A survey of community college welding programs across the state in 1997 revealed that Vance-Granville turns out more certified welders than any other school.

“The job market is wide open for qualified welders,” Jones said. For example, many of the 16 graduating students have held full-time welding jobs almost the full period they have been training.

Several industries in the area are currently hiring or have indicated they will begin hiring in the next few months, Jones said. “Ones who want to work will have no trouble getting jobs,” he said. Completion of the welding program will also qualify the students for VGCC’s Multi-Skill program, in which they may study one or more vocational skills to further enhance their employability.

Openings remain in both the day and night Fall Semester welding classes that will begin Aug. 23. For more information, interested persons may contact Herbert Washington, vocational advisor, at 492-2061.