Jesse Dale Gibson realized his career dreams with help from the Rogue Community College industrial welding program. Gibson, 31, graduated last spring with honors from RCC, earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Welding Technology while carrying a 3.87 grade point average.

The week he graduated, a local playground construction company hired Gibson, and about a month later he took a job with Pacific Iron Works in Grants Pass. “If it wasn’t for the RCC program, I wouldn’t be where I’m now,” Gibson said. “Most of my life, I pumped gas or worked at wrecking yards – just odd jobs, not really a career.”

Now he’s earning more than he ever dreamed and has worked on some high-profile jobs, including construction of a U.S. Forest Service fire tower atop Mount Sexton and the reconstruction of Rafter’s Restaurant in Grants Pass. He also worked on the RCC/SOU Higher Education Center now under construction in downtown Medford, and he anticipates being on the crew of some big projects this spring.

A mediocre student in high school, Gibson said things changed when he started attending Rogue. “I didn’t think I would like college but found out it was completely different. I enjoyed all the classes at RCC,” he explained. “I guess maturity kicked in…I wanted to get good grades and get a degree.” Even when challenged by upper-level math classes, Gibson persevered, encouraged by his family. “My parents and my wife kept pushing me,” he said. “I’m glad I finished because otherwise… basically, I wouldn’t have a career. It turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done — besides marrying my wife and having my son.”

Students in the RCC Industrial Welding program can earn a one-year certificate or an AAS degree. The degree prepares students for entry-level welding/fabrication jobs or to enter one of the trade unions. Those completing the program can be qualified/certified to the American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1 Structural Steel and the AWS D1.4 Sheet Steel Welding Codes.

Courses give students experience, practice, and proficiency in cutting and fabricating steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. Students also get a foundation in structural steel layout, the basics of pipefitting, and the basics of sheet metal pattern development, enabling them to certify as Level 1 Entry-Level Welders by the AWS EG2.0 welder training programs.

Welding is found in every major industry, and professional welding positions are available in all phases of construction and manufacturing.
Career opportunities include arc welder, artist, pipe welder, welder/fabricator, construction welder, manual and machine operator oxyacetylene cutter, machinery fabricator, and transportation equipment manufacturing. Pay varies widely based on skill level, technical knowledge, work habits and geographical location, but the median earnings in 2007 for Oregon welding technicians and those in related job fields was $30,000.

Welders remain in high demand, according to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry. The American Welding Society predicts that by the end of 2010, there will be a shortage of 200,000 qualified welding personnel in the United States alone as demand for welders outpaces supply.
RCC graduates like Gibson will have a leg up on job placement, however. “Due to our networking within the industry, we are able to place greater than 90 percent of our graduates immediately and directly into welding positions locally and elsewhere,” said Jim Hamilton, head of the RCC Welding Technology Department.

RCC graduates have landed jobs with Pacific Ironworks and S&P Fabrication in Grants Pass, Pacific Crest Transformers, Pro Weld, and Bay Cities Fabrication in White City, Medford Fabrication, Erickson Air-Crane Company in Central Point and others. “Workers should have postsecondary training to gain the necessary skills for this occupation,” Hamilton continued. “Those with an associate’s degree and welding certifications have a competitive advantage in the labor market.”

For more information, contact the RCC Welding Technology Department at 956-7243, or Jim Hamilton.