POPULARITY OF WELDING PROGRAM LEADS TO EXPANSION

Welding is one of the “hottest” programs in the Career and Technical Education program at Los Fresnos High School, and expansion plans are underway.

Students get hands-on training in the welding program, which is part of the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources division of CTE. It has been a popular program and teacher Edwin Rivera has a waiting list of students trying to register for his classes.

Rivera teaches Agriculture Mechanics and Metal Technologies classes, where students become proficient in plate welding and receive D1.1 Certification from the American Welding Society.

They learn various welding processes including oxyacetylene gas welding, gas tungsten arc, gas metal arc and other processes. They also learn to design and fabricate welded projects.

“It’s neat to see young minds work,” said Rivera, who worked at an oil refinery and nuclear plant before he became a teacher. “I’ve watched them from barely being able to strike an arc to get certifications as a welder. It’s not only about learning how to weld but about being a good and respectful individual.”
Current facilities and safety regulations limit Rivera to 20 students in class.

But the Los Fresnos CISD administration and Board of Trustees has noted the popularity of the program and how beneficial it is to students. They have budgeted an expansion of the Welding Shop, scheduled to begin in the spring, increasing the building’s square footage by about 20 percent.

Rivera’s classes are always full, and more students try to enroll.

“With the expansion, we’ll be able to offer bigger and better things for our students,” Rivera said, who is a Certified Welding Educator. “We want to introduce the math part of welding, the blueprint reading, welding symbol reading and things like that. It’s all part of making them employable and marketable once they finish high school. So when an employer gets one of our students, they will get a good product. I have been blessed with very good students.”

Rivera encourages students interested in a welding career to continue at the Welding Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen.

“There are jobs in the welding industry but their main concern is that there is not enough skilled labor to fill these jobs,” Rivera said. “One of my former students was a who got six top ratings in 10 phases. When he was 18, he got a job offer in Africa.”

Rosa Villarreal, who was among in the Top 10 graduates of Los Fresnos High School in 2013, was in the Top 10 in her graduating. Villarreal received an academic scholarship from Tulsa Welding School, where she is continuing her education.

“I have students who complete my program and further their education by attending a technical school. Others enter the workforce right away,” Rivera said. “What motivates me is when I hear stories from instructors at places like Tulsa Welding School, and it’s great to hear that our students are excelling over there. They are top of their classes.

Welding has taken on an art form as well. Last year’s students designed and constructed a Falcon sculpture that now on exhibit at front entrance of Los Fresnos High School. Students are already planning the next sculpture to show at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show in Mercedes this March.

“Welding has changed a lot through the years,” Rivera said. “Industry currently demands different forms of welding, such as fabrication, underwater welding, building aircraft, and the arts. If you look around, you see a lot of artwork and sculptures. Welding is all around us.”

Because welding revolves around hazards such as open flames and sparks, students are taught to put safety first. Students must wear eyeglasses, and can only wear cotton clothes and leather shoes. Flammable materials are prohibited.

Some students in Rivera’s class know that a welding career can be profitable.

“It’s a hard job, but it’s a good-paying job for your future,” junior Jose Cano said. “My dad (Jose Cano) is a welder in Louisiana, and he wants me to work with him. He’s been welding for all of his life. I like hard work and I learned that from my dad.”

Welding is an adrenaline rush for senior Eric Rivera, who hopes to make it a career.

“We’re getting the certification which revolves around structure,” Rivera said. “I like to do hands-on things, which is why I like this class. Just being building part of a skyscraper is something exciting for me.”

For Mr. Rivera, satisfaction is watching his students work hard every day in class and seeing results in a construction project.

“When you see the commitment of our students day after day with sweat in their brow … that’s where I get my motivation.”