Career Majors

Manufacturing Cluster logo

Northwest Tech offers the following career majors within the Manufacturing Cluster.

Welding and Metal Fabrication Pathway Career Majors

Combination Welder - Fairview Campus only
The Combination Welder career major prepares students to do quality welding for a variety of construction and manufacturing jobs using multiple structural welding techniques. Instruction will cover welding theory and safety, fabrication, layout, print reading, symbols, math, welding codes, metal characteristics/properties and oxyfuel cutting. Students will learn to perform high quality welds in accordance with welding procedure specifications used in a variety of welding occupations. They will also gain an introduction to pipe welding skills, using SMAW, FCAW and GTAW techniques.

Cutting Process Technician - Fairview Campus only
The Cuttin Process Technician career major prepares students for entry level welding employment where they will set up and operate welding cutting equipment to make straight line, curve, bevel and gouging cuts.  Instruction includes welding theory, fabrication, layout, print reading, welding symbols along with metal pre-preparation and heat treatments.  Students also receive training in basic cutting processes including plasma arc, air carbon arc and oxyfuel.

Entry Level Welder - Fairview Campus only
This career major is an introduction to common welding processes and precision metal fabrication. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of welding and the cutting processes. Students will be introduced to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) equipment and Shielded Metal Arc Welding(SMAW) basics. Students will also be introduced to blue print reading and construction of items according to specifications.

FCAW Structural Welder - Fairview Campus only
The FCAW Structural Welder career major prepares students to do quality structural welding on steel in structural fabrication and manufacturing shops.  Instruction includes welding theory, fabrication, layout, print reading, welding symbols, math and welding codes with an emphasis in Flux-cored Arc Welding (FCAW) techniques.  FCAW welders specialize in performing welds in accordance with welding procedure specifications.

 Updated on 7/8/14