Western Technical College

  John Gable, a Welding teacher from Jefferson High School summarizes the benefits of the partnering of the Jefferson High School Welding Program and Western Technical College’s (WTC) Welding Department, “the partnership helps both the Western Tech students and the Jefferson students,” because while the WTC students re-enforce their knowledge and welding skills, they are also teaching and demonstrating for the Jefferson students the proper practices for welding. Barnebie Mejia, Welding Program Director for WTC, says almost every Wednesday the welding class visits the main college campus for about two and half hours. Mejia and Gable agree that the students greatly benefit from the visits; not only do they get to practice at Western Tech’s most modern workshop with advanced tools and materials, but they also get to see what a college environment is like. 

   Two Jefferson students took a moment out from practicing newly learned welds to talk about their experiences at WTC. Both Adrian Aguirre and Ivan Murrillo decided after visiting the Main Campus that they would like to attend Western Tech, when they finish High School. Ivan says he “appreciates the way instructors teach at WTC” and that “here at Western Tech there are so many different pieces of equipment to learn on that we don’t have at Jefferson. This is a huge facility with more modern technologies for us to practice for the real world.” 

   Gable comments that this partnership is an invaluable shadowing experience for the Jefferson students as they get to know the instructors at WTC, they also get to practice on machinery that Jefferson just doesn’t have which allows the students to practice more advanced and modern welding techniques. Richard Brubaker, a WTC Welding Instructor, says, just like in every program at WTC, first the students learn safety and procedures in a classroom setting, where they then put them into practice to get the hands on experience that prepares them for the job market. Brubaker adds that by the time the Jefferson students are done with training at WTC, they will be entry level ready for employment.