Embedded Files
Welding
Program Overview
Program Overview
Housed In: District 300 and U-46
Housed In: District 300 and U-46
3‑year welding program — Designed to build industry‑ready welding and fabrication skills.
Two campus locations — Offered at Elgin High School (U‑46) and Hampshire High School (D300).
Starts in 10th grade — Open to students beginning their sophomore year.
Multiple welding processes — Training includes MIG, TIG, Stick, and oxy‑fuel techniques.
Hands‑on fabrication — Students practice real‑world welding, cutting, and metal‑joining tasks.
Industry‑aligned curriculum — Skills taught reflect current manufacturing and construction workforce needs.
AWS certification preparation — Students gain the competencies needed to earn American Welding Society credentials.
Course Descriptions
Welding Fundamentals
1 Period / Prerequisites: None
This enables students to gain knowledge of the properties, uses, and applications of various metals, skills in various processes used to join and cut metals (such as oxyacetylene, shielded metal, metal inert gas, and tungsten arc processes), and experience in identifying, selecting appropriate techniques. This course include welding safety, blue print reading, welding symbols, welding practices and welding fabrication techniques.
Welding I
2 Periods / Prerequisites: Welding Fundamentals
This course assists students in gaining the knowledge and developing the basic skills needed to be successful in welding technology. Units of instruction include arc, TIG and MIG welding, metallurgy, cutting metal using arc, plasma, and oxy-gas. In addition, students learn the basics of blueprint reading, welding symbols, precision measuring, layout, and production process planning. Students will also perform 3g vertical up welding for evaluation for American Welding Society certification.
Welding II
2 Periods / Prerequisites: Welding I
This course builds on the skills and concepts introduced in Welding Technology I and will provide more in-depth skill development in various types of including horizontal, vertical and overhead as well as 3G certification welds for MIG. Units of instruction include advanced out of position arc, TIG and MIG welding, industry weld fabrication techniques and welding print interpretation and process organization. In addition the students will learn to analyze weld quality and troubleshoot problem welds. Dual credit may be awarded for the fall semester in WEL 101 (2.5 hours) and for the spring semester in WEL 102 (4 hours) upon successful completion of the course. Student may have the ability to take the American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welder Exam but we encourage students who continue to ECC for their Senior year welding courses to come back in May to sit for the exam at that time.
Fundamentals of Welding — 10th Grade
Fundamentals of Welding — 10th Grade
1 Period / Prerequisites: None
What to Expect
What to Expect
Metal properties — Understanding how different metals behave and are used.
Welding processes — Oxy‑acetylene, Stick (SMAW), MIG (GMAW), and TIG (GTAW).
Cutting techniques — Oxy‑fuel cutting and safe torch operation.
Blueprint reading — Interpreting drawings, dimensions, and weld callouts.
Welding symbols — Learning AWS‑standard symbols used in fabrication.
Fabrication basics — Building simple projects using proper setup and technique.
Safety training — PPE, equipment safety, and shop procedures.
Certifications (10th Grade)
AWS safety alignment — Foundational skills aligned with American Welding Society expectations.
Shop & equipment safety — Safety credentials for welding environments.
Welding I — 11th Grade
Welding I — 11th Grade
2 Periods • Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Welding
What to Expect
What to Expect
Arc, MIG & TIG welding — Skill development across major welding processes.
Metallurgy fundamentals — How heat affects metal strength and structure.
Metal cutting — Plasma cutting, oxy‑gas cutting, and arc cutting.
Blueprint reading & symbols — More advanced interpretation for fabrication tasks.
Precision measurement — Gauges, squares, and layout tools.
Production planning — Organizing steps for fabrication projects.
3G vertical up welds — Practice and evaluation toward AWS certification.
Certifications (11th Grade)
Certifications (11th Grade)
AWS 3G preparation — Vertical up welds evaluated to AWS standards.
Safety & process credentials — Continued development toward AWS testing.
Welding II — 12th Grade
Welding II — 12th Grade
2 Periods • Prerequisite: Welding I
What to Expect
What to Expect
Advanced welding positions — Horizontal, vertical, overhead, and circular welds.
Advanced MIG & TIG — Higher‑level techniques and precision control.
Out‑of‑position arc welding — Complex welds used in industry settings.
Fabrication techniques — Building multi‑component projects with industry methods.
Welding print interpretation — Reading complex weld symbols and fabrication drawings.
Process organization — Planning, sequencing, and executing fabrication jobs.
Weld quality analysis — Identifying defects and troubleshooting problem welds.
Certifications (12th Grade)
Certifications (12th Grade)
AWS 3G MIG & TIG — Preparation for advanced AWS certification welds.
Industry‑aligned competencies — Skills matching professional welding standards.
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