Mid-South Welding Students Continue Certification Perfection

Welding students at Arkansas State University Mid-South continue to ace certification exams at a 100 percent clip, and lead instructor Ed Cook says he couldn’t be more pleased.

“It tickles me to death,” said Cook who has 30 years of welding experience. “I’ve been welding all my life, and every time you take a test, you get nervous. It’s not like welding every day. And all it takes is one little piece of trapped slag, and you fail.

For us to go three years and not have something like that happen is amazing.”

The feat is even more impressive when the volume is added to the equation. This spring, ASU Mid-South students passed 53 of 53 tests.

“That’s a pretty good number,” Cook said. “We’ve had really good students who take pride in what they’re learning. We’re putting out a pretty good product, and industries are calling me right and left looking for welders.”

All students who complete one of the “process” classes – shield metal arc, gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc, or flux-core – have the opportunity to earn American Welding Society certification.

“The minimum they can get is what’s called a ‘2F,’ which is a tee-joint on a flat table,” Cook explained. “That’s what most of our students take. They weld the two pieces together, and I send the finished products to American Industrial Testing in Memphis. They cut one inch off both ends and etch them with acid to evaluate penetration. Then they take the 90-degree joint and bend it to 15 degrees, and it can’t break or crack.”

More advanced students can take a more difficult exam. Cook said he usually has two or three in each class who opt for the tougher certification try.

“When the students progress through the program, we let them do what’s called a ‘3 and 4G combo test’ which is a plate test beveled and put together. Students weld it uphill and overhead. Those are x-rayed, and if there is good fusion and no penetration issues or porosity in the weld, they earn certification.”

“The students who take that are the ones who come in on their own time to practice. They’re really serious about it. If you pass this one, I guarantee you I can get you a good job. This is the test that everybody’s wanting their welders to pass.”

Cook said any type of certification is valuable to a potential employer.

“It’s definitely a plus to have that certification. If I’m interviewing four welders, and I see this guy’s already passed the test, at least I know he knows how to do it. The other guys, if they haven’t ever passed one, you don’t really know.

“Certification has become a big issue in the last 10 or 12 years. When I started at Memphis Light Gas and Water 40 years ago, nobody was certified. Then they started with the gas pipe welders to get API certification. Now, the body shop has to be certified to weld on trucks and cranes. Anything that holds a load or picks people up off the ground requires a certification to weld on it. Uncertified welders are limited to non-critical jobs.”

Cook said welding certifications abound because of the different processes and materials being used.

“There are thousands of certifications. Every time you change material or the type of welding you’re doing, you have to get a different certification. Every one of our students has the opportunity to walk away from here with at least four AWS certifications under they belts. They can get one in stick, one in MIG, one in TIG, and one in flux-core.”

ASU Mid-South students begin practicing in earnest for the certification test a week before finals. They perform the weld as part of their final exam.

“Our students do really well on all the tests,” Cook said. “The 2F is the most basic weld, but it’s certainly not easy. So earning certification is a major accomplishment. After they finish their welds, I do a visual inspection and then haul them over to AIT. A couple of weeks later, they send back the certifications.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects, the demand for welders is expected to grow by 15 percent through 2020. Cook said he does all he can to help students find those jobs.

“Every time I get a job posting or somebody calls me, I post it in the office and in the classroom so that they know how and when to apply. I get calls all the time looking for somebody who can weld. There are a lot of opportunities.”

Students have the opportunity to work with the latest technology at ASU Mid-South.

“You won’t find a better welding facility in this part of the country,” Cook pointed out. “Everything is state of the art, and we’re constantly adding to it.”

The latest addition is a ‘real-world welding fabrication’ area adjacent to the current welding lab that will mirror conditions and situations welders face on the job.

“Our advisory committee encouraged us to do this because, while our students are great welders, they sometimes have difficulty when facing a challenging work environment,” Cook said.

“We’re going to give them an opportunity to learn by experience what it’s like in the real world. As far as I know, there’s not another school around that is doing what we plan to do.”

To find out more about ASU Mid-South’s welding program or other high-tech or general education opportunities, visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis, call (870) 733-6728, email admissions@midsouthcc.edu, or access the college’s website at www.midsouthcc.edu.