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FROM STAFF REPORTS

HOOVER — Jefferson State will celebrate its new Welding Center with a ceremony at the college’s Shelby-Hoover Campus at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 24.

The ceremony will begin with a welcome and dedication followed by a ribbon cutting at 2:15 p.m. and then tours and refreshments until 3 p.m.

The Welding Center is located at 4600 Valleydale Rd., Birmingham.

The opening of the Welding Center is a response to the demand for skilled welders in Alabama and across the United States. 58 INC., an economic development group in Shelby County, recently determined welding jobs are the second-highest jobs in demand in Shelby County.

Courses at the new facility are designed with a combination of online learning and hands-on training in the lab to cover material while adhering to COVID-19 distancing guidelines.

Jefferson State also offers welding courses at its Jefferson and St. Clair-Pell City campuses.

For information about registration for courses at any of the three campuses, visit Jeffersonstate.edu/registration-information. The site includes instructions and links for online registration, as well as other resources in the areas of general admissions and enrollment, academic advising, paying tuition and fees, and more.

Jefferson State’s Welding Technology Certificate and AAS Degree program option allows students to earn industry-recognized welding certificates issued through the National Construction Center for Education and Research (NCCER) welding curriculum.

NCCER’s curriculum correlates to the American Welding Society (AWS) SENSE (Schools Excelling through national Skills Education) standards and guidelines for entry level welders. Certificates and a two-year AAS degree are available. Upon completion of the program, students can obtain AWS welding certification.

For more information about Jefferson State’s Welding Program, visit Jeffersonstate.edu/programs/welding-technology.