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Lincoln Tech Introduces Welding Training to Columbia, MD Campus
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ: LINC), a national leader in specialized technical training, will introduce a Welding and Metal Fabrication program at the Columbia, Maryland campus this fall. Slated for an October 23rd start date, this will mark the first welding program offered by Lincoln Tech in the state of Maryland.
Nearly 130,000 welders are projected to be needed around the country by 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fueled in part by the national skills gap, as well as the impending retirements of thousands of welders, welding is one of the nation’s most in-demand skilled trades. Graduates of the Columbia campus may pursue work within Maryland, where more than 2,000 of those openings are expected to be found. The Columbia campus is also situated near northern Virginia – where an additional 8,000 welders are projected to be needed – and Washington D.C., which offers the nation’s highest average hourly wage for welders*.
“Adding career training for welding and metal fabrication is an important step for our Columbia campus, because area employers have stated there aren’t enough candidates with the necessary skills in today’s workforce,” says Scott Shaw, Lincoln Tech’s President and CEO. “The area around Baltimore and our nation’s capital is constantly growing and expanding its infrastructure – which means there’s an ongoing demand for welders. Construction companies and diesel fleet operators need welders. The nation’s largest shipbuilding yard, in Newport News, Virginia, also needs welders. We’re excited for the career opportunities awaiting graduates of this new program.”
In the new program, students will practice both MIG and TIG welding processes, as well as Shielded Metal and Flux Core Arc Welding. The curriculum also includes an OSHA-approved safety course, and upon completion students will also be eligible to receive Level One credentials from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
The Columbia campus is now the seventh Lincoln Tech campus to offer training for welding careers. The program is also offered at campuses in Denver,CO; East Windsor, CT; Grand Prairie, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Nashville, TN; and South Plainfield, NJ. Lincoln’s programs nationwide are supported by Miller Electric, which provides industry-standard equipment for student training.
* Source: careeronestop.org for the years 2016-2026. This website is maintained and updated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics
About Lincoln Educational Services Corporation
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education. Lincoln offers recent high school graduates and working adults career-oriented programs in five principal areas of study: automotive technology, health sciences, skilled trades, business and information technology, and hospitality services. Lincoln has provided the workforce with skilled technicians since its inception in 1946.
Lincoln currently operates 22 campuses in 14 states under four brands: Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts and Sciences. Lincoln also operates Lincoln Culinary Institutes in both Maryland and Connecticut.
For more information, go to lincolntech.edu.