Let the Sparks Fly on Your Welding Career
Are you looking for a career that’s exciting, challenging, and a lot of fun? You’ll find all that plus endless job opportunities in welding.
Welding is an excellent career choice for individuals seeking a hands-on, skilled trade with a wide range of opportunities. It offers job stability, as welders are in high demand across diverse industries such as construction, shipbuilding, aerospace, energy, and automotive. This career also offers good earning potential, especially for those who gain advanced certifications or specialize in high-demand fields.
At South Piedmont, we offer a range of short- and long-term welding programs. No matter which program you choose, you’ll learn from highly experienced welding professionals in one of North Carolina’s few American Welding Society-accredited facilities.
The Program Options
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
None
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
None
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
WLD-115
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
WLD-121
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
WLD-131
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
None
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
Must have taken Intro to Welding Processes.
Participants can gain experience in multiple welding processes, including:
· Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
· Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
· Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
· Oxy-Acetylene Cutting (OAC)
· Plasma Cutting
Students must have verifiable prior welding experience to enroll.
Lab work will include welding on:
· Plate
· Pipe
· Various joint configurations
All lab sessions must be scheduled in advance with the welding instructor.
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
Verifiable prior welding experience.
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
Unweighted GPA of 2.8, meet Career & College Promise program requirements.
Mode
Online/in-person
Prerequisites
Unweighted GPA of 2.8, meet Career & College Promise program requirements.
100+
Approximate cumulative years of experience among the South Piedmont welding faculty
43
Welding bays stocked with industry-standard equipment; located at the OCH and LLP campuses
5
We teach five types of welding at South Piedmont (SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, Laser).
FAQ
We are proud to serve Anson and Union counties, located in southcentral North Carolina. We offer welding in both Monroe (Tyson Family Center for Technology) and Polkton (L.L. Polk).
The time it takes to complete the program depends on the credential you pursue and whether you attend full-time or part-time. South Piedmont offers flexible pathways to help you build welding skills and prepare for a career in the industry.
You’ll learn a variety of welding and cutting processes, blueprint reading, metallurgy, fabrication techniques, and welding inspection methods. Through hands-on training, you’ll develop practical skills that employers value.
No prior welding experience is required. You’ll start with foundational welding skills and progress to more advanced techniques as you move through the program.
Your welding training can prepare you for careers in manufacturing, construction, fabrication, maintenance, and other skilled trades. Welders are employed in a wide range of industries, including automotive, infrastructure, and heavy equipment manufacturing.
Yes. As you develop your skills, you’ll have opportunities to prepare for industry-recognized welding certifications that can help demonstrate your abilities to employers.
If you enjoy hands-on work, problem-solving, and creating things that last, welding is a rewarding career path. Skilled welders are needed in many industries, creating opportunities for long-term career growth.
Your wages will vary depending on the employer that hires you, your work schedule, and your level of experience. According to Lightcast, a provider of workforce data, in 2024 the median earnings for welders in our region was $53,367, which was higher than the national median. Welding is an in-demand field that will offer you many opportunities to increase your income over time.
Get Ready to Get Hired
What makes South Piedmont’s welding program different? For one, our instructors have actually worked as welding professionals. They’ve gained hands-on, real-world experience that they pass on to our students. At many competing programs, instructors are welding inspectors, meaning they can tell their students what they did incorrectly, but they can’t actually show their students how to perform a skill. That’s not the case at South Piedmont.
In addition to our outstanding faculty, South Piedmont has also met the rigorous standards to become one of only six American Welding Society-certified facilities in North Carolina. We’re also a member of Skills USA; through this organization, our students have the chance to compete against other welding students and connect with potential employers.
Affordable Education, Lifelong Freedom
The welding program is a great environment. Everyone is very inclusive. I am excited about becoming a welder. I’m going to be able to move out sooner because I won’t have to worry about paying off student debt. I won’t be struggling to start off in my life; I’ll be able to travel, get a house, and be financially independent.
Cheyenne Thomas , Welding student and resident of Waxhaw
Get Hands-On Experience
Our Work-Based Learning program will help you gain hands-on experience in your field.
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