New welding center caters to Madison, other students looking to learn a trade in need of workers

Welding instructor Chris Beaman on Tuesday discusses some of the equipment available to students at a new facility at the Somerset Career and Technical Center at Madison Area Memorial High School in Madison. The center houses eight student welding booths. Rich Abrahamson / Morning Watchman

MADISON – On Tuesday, a new space was unveiled at the Somerset Career and Technical Center, which will allow more students to train as welders and become attractive candidates in a profession that is officially in need of a skilled workforce.

Located at Madison Area Memorial High School, the center now includes an eight-cabin welding lab built for 16 students who have the opportunity to learn the craft and become certified by the American Welding Society.

The welding laboratory was first announced last December. At that point, 12 students were enrolled in the program, which was housed at Cianbro in Pittsfield, and another 18 students were on a waiting list.

“Not only will this new welding lab reduce the waiting list for SCTC students, the program is designed to serve adult learners for years to come,” said Tracie Travers, vice president of people development at Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, in a statement. “This facility will also meet the need for community partners to train their employees.”

David Dorr, director of the technical center, said statistics from the Maine Department of Labor show that the state has about 200 welder jobs annually, adding that “the need for welders is enormous”.

Isaac Ouellette, a sophomore at Madison Area Memorial High School, welded at Madison School’s Somerset Career and Technical Center last December. Officials on Tuesday unveiled a new facility at the center designed to teach and train students in welding. Michael G. Seamans / Morning Watchman

After seeing over a dozen students on the waiting list year after year, Dorr decided last year to look for ways to expand the program to allow more participation.

Though space was tight in Cianbro, Madison High School had an opening: the school’s abandoned metal workshop.

Early contributions to the welding lab included a government grant to cover the cost of equipment, cabins, and other materials.

The technical center works closely with Cianbro and the construction company “usually hires some of our students every year”.

Other students find welding jobs locally or go to manufacturers in the country.

“The focus on vocational and technical training has increased interest in the craft,” says Dorr. “We saw a slight decrease in our numbers due to the pandemic.”

The engineering center is located at Skowhegan Area High School with satellite locations in Madison and Pittsfield. Around 300 students from Skowhegan High School, Carrabec High School in North Anson, Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Madison, and Upper Kennebec Valley Jr./Sr. High Schools in Bingham take part in the various programs.

A regional study conducted in 2019 showed that 95% of students participating in career and technical programs graduate, Dorr said.

The Somerset Technical Center’s partnership with Jobs for Maine’s Graduates provides students with job-related learning opportunities such as apprenticeships and job shadowing.

The Madison welding lab includes adding a fire wall and upgrading electrical systems to accommodate the power required to operate eight new welding machines.

The lab cost approximately $ 400,000 in equipment and facilities, an amount raised through private donations, foundations, grants, and donations in kind.

Travers said the collaboration between Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, the technical center and Madison High School was “critical to the success of this human development opportunity for Somerset County’s students.”

“Not only will it help meet the needs of our workforce, but it will also give students an opportunity to earn credentials and certifications before they graduate from high school,” she said.

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