Woodburn Independent Online

Welding together a future

Woodburn's Chemeketa Community College provides a future in welding

• By: Charissa Bernard  
• Published: 11/24/2009 9:43:52 AM

Photo By: Charissa BernardWelding class
Chemeketa welding course instructor, Alejandro Berra, smoothes out a piece of metal to be used by his students in the welding shop at Woodburn High School Nov. 19. The high school lets the college use the shop to teach its 15 students about welding. Students also have the opportunity to take American Welding Association certification test at the end of the three-month course.

WOODBURN — Regino Ricalday grew up in a small town in Mexico with 15 siblings and no schooling. For years, he worked to support his large family, eventually moving up into Oregon, where he worked at a Molalla lumber mill. Today, the Salem man has three college-aged sons of his own, but he himself has become a student at Woodburn’s Chemeketa Community College campus.
 
“I want to have a better future, and I want to help my family to live a lot better than they originally were,” Ricalday said Nov. 19, waiting for his welding class to start.
 
Ricalday is among 15 of his adult classmates who are mid-way through the school’s basic manufacturing technician certificate class, which teaches advanced competencies in welding. Students also have the chance to get certified in welding if they pass the American Welding Association certification test at the end of the three-month course.
 
Woodburn’s campus director, Elias Villegas, said the idea for the welding class came from requests from his students.
 
“Many of the students that we serve have asked me for a program other than just regular GED (general education development) classes,” Villegas said. “We researched several jobs they could do and do well — good paying jobs — and welding seems to be a good field for them.”
 
With help from WorkSource Oregon, the first welding certificate course took place this past summer, and 15 more students, including Ricalday, are currently enrolled and participating in the fall term class.
 
“I’ve always wanted to weld, and this is the first opportunity I’ve had,” said Savio Montes of Woodburn. “I want a better future in the long run.”
 
Chemeketa instructional assistant Jaime Rodriguez said that the average welder starts out making $16-$18 per hour, but wages can also quickly rise.
 
“I’ve heard that some of the students in the summer program have jobs already in welding,” said Villegas. “I heard from the instructor that some of them are making $25 an hour, which is a fairly good wage.”
 
Villegas said the key to the program is the dedication of the students.
 
“Both of the welding programs have been very successful programs,” said Villegas. “All the students so far that have started the program have completed the program.”
 
For the fall term, students meet every weekday for three to four hours and then for 10 hours on Fridays. They split their time learning from instructor Alejandro Berra in a Chemeketa classroom and in the Woodburn High School welding shop. Before qualifying for the class, all of the students must show proof of a high school diploma or obtain their GED. Villegas said this detail also makes the students more employable in today’s job market. He said that many of the students entered the work force 25 years ago, when employers were not requiring a GED or diploma, so they have been laid off and can’t find jobs now.
 
“They can come back and at least get their GED, upgrade their computer skills, upgrade their reading and writing skills, then be ready for the job,” Villegas said.
 
While most of the students are only seeking to obtain their welding certificate through this new vocational class, some students like Ricardo Saavedra of Keizer are working toward a degree.
 
“Now that I am back at school, I like it better,” said Saavedra. “I take welding because I need some credits. I want to go to college.”
 
This term, the 15-credit welding course cost $1,170 and is only currently offered to Spanish-speaking students. Villegas is working on getting a contract for two more welding classes, including an English-only cohort of students and a Russian/English cohort. Chemeketa is also hoping to offer two additional vocational courses for the Jan. 4, 2010 term, including a medical assistant program and an auto detailing program.
 
For more information about Chemeketa courses, call 503-981-8820 or 503-316-3256.

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