Welder – GMAW (“MIG”)

Are you good with your hands? Are you mechanically inclined? Then listen to this! 60% of everything manufactured has a welded component. If you are interested in becoming a welder, we have the training for you. The Quick Careers Welder program consists of a series of courses* designed to prepare you for a career as a welder (MIG) and to prepare you to earn AWS Level I – Entry Welder certification.                                                                             

*Awards of Completion are earned at the successful completion of all of the courses in the program. Introduction to Welding is a prerequisite for the MIG Welding course.

Class Information

Introduction to Welding (1 of 2)

This course is a prerequisite for the Welding – MIG course. It is an introduction to basic welding processes.

This 64-hour training includes:

  • 10 hours of safety
  • 20 hours of measurement, basic hand tools, grinding bevels on plate, clamp, and fit-up
  • 34 hours of GMAW Process & Theory, Machine Operation, and Welding

The next class will be scheduled in the fall 2024 term.  

Welding – GMAW ('MIG') (2 of 2)

This course introduces gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Topics include equipment setup and fillet and groove welds with an emphasis on the application of GMAW electrodes on carbon steel plate. Upon completion, students should be able to perform fillet welds on carbon steel with prescribed electrodes in the flat, horizontal, and overhead positions.

This 128-hour training includes:

  • Safety and health of welders
  • Welding symbol Interpretation
  • Identification of the various electrode classifications
  • Selection and setup of gas metal arc welding equipment
  • Identification of the various weld defects and discontinuities
  • Identification, preparation, and fit-up of the various joint configurations
  • Identification of GMA welding equipment parts
  • Use of basic hand and power tools
  • Performance of various welding exercises with GMAW equipment

Students can earn the AWS (American Welding Society) SENSE Level I – Entry Welder Certification during class 2. For more information, go to https://www.senseonline.org/.

Both courses are at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CADM), 6012 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro on the Jamestown Campus.

Course Name Dates Days Hours Campus Room Register
WLD-3106-Q33

Introduction to Welding (course 1 of 2)

 4/22/24 - 5/30/24 No class 5/27/24

 M, W, TH 5:30- 9:30 p.m. Jamestown CADM 1535 Register Now
WLD-3106-Q58 GMAW (MIG) Welding (course 2 of 2) 6/3/24 - 8/22/24 No class 7/4/24 M, W, TH 5:30-9:30 p.m. Jamestown CADM 1535 Register Now

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Course 1 registration fee: $188
  • Book: about $236
  • Tool Kit/PPE: about $748
  • Course 2 registration fee: $213 (includes certification fee)
Total cost is $1,385.

Payment for class is due at the time of registration.

Students must have:
  • Good computer skills
  • Email and access to a computer with internet
  • 20/20 vision, corrected (with glasses) or uncorrected (natural vision) This is critical!

Yes. To be successful in the Quick Careers program, students need to have good computer skills. If you are a beginner on the computer, you should take a course FIRST, to strengthen your computer skills before registering for a Quick Careers course. (Contact the Quick Careers Office at 336-334-4822, ext. 53108 for more information).

As a Quick Careers student, you will need to have access to a computer outside of class to complete the required coursework. Computers used outside of class need to be connected to the internet and also have software compatible with what is used in class (e.g. Microsoft® Word, Excel, PowerPoint 2010, etc.). If you do not have a home computer, you should plan to visit a GTCC “Open Lab” to complete the required coursework.

The below checklist provides information about the minimum computer skills needed to register for a Quick Careers course. Potential students should thoroughly evaluate their computer skills using this checklist.

Good Computer Skills Self-Assessment

Checklist:

  1. You should be able to turn a computer on and off.
    1. Do you know the difference between an operating system and an application software? (i.e. Windows® 7 versus Microsoft® Office 2007)

  2. Do you know how to use the computer desktop?
    1. Do you know how to make a folder on the desktop?
    2. Do you know how to save information on the desktop?Do you know how to retrieve information from the desktop?

  3. Do you know what a flash drive is?
    1. Do you know how to make a folder on a flash drive?
    2. Do you know how to save information on a flash drive?
    3. Do you know how to retrieve information from a flash drive?

  4. Do you know how to use the internet?
    1. Can you bookmark a website?
    2. Can you “Google Search”/research information on the internet?

  5. Do you have a personal email account?
    1. Can you access your personal email from a computer other than your home computer?
    2. Can you send internet links via email?
    3. Can you send an attachment in an email?

  6. Do you know how to create, save, and use a basic Microsoft® Word document?
    1. Do you know how to use word-processing software?
    2. Can you type at least 25-30 words per minute?

  7. Are you familiar with Microsoft® Excel, a spreadsheet software?

  8. Are you familiar with Microsoft® PowerPoint, a presentation software?

You may be eligible for scholarship money. Click on the link below to learn if you might meet the applicant requirements. Scholarships have time-sensitive application deadlines.

WORKFORCE training SCHOLARSHIPS

Additionally, the NCWorks Career Center may be able to assist through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program. For more information, call NCWorks Greensboro at 336-297-9444 or NCWorks High Point at 336-882-4141.

You may register online.

Book and tools/supplies:

  • ISBN 9780357377659. "Welding Principles & Applications, ninth edition." From Cengage.  About $236 at Jamestown GTCC Bookstore. Purchase before the first night class.

  • ID 958873560124. MIG welding tool kit. About $565 at Jamestown GTCC Bookstore 
    Must purchase before the third night of class.

  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Must purchase before the third night of class.

Students who successfully complete both welder classes will receive an Award of Completion.  

Requirements for successful completion:

  • Attendance: Must be in class 90% of the class hours
  • Coursework: Must achieve 80% on coursework

If you enter after the second day of class, you will not receive credit for taking the class.  Additionally, time absent will be counted against you; students can only miss 19 hours of total class time to pass.

The college will make a 100% refund of registration fees if you officially withdraw from class before the first meeting. Also if the class is canceled or full, GTCC will make a full refund. The college will refund 75% of the registration fee (of tuition only) if you officially withdraw from the class on the first day of class or before the class reaches the census date. The census date varies from class to class. Non-attendance is not a basis for a refund.