Career Description
With training and a diploma as evidence of skills in both welding and machining, the graduate from CLC should be in demand. Skilled welding, soldering, and brazing workers generally plan work from drawings or specifications or use their knowledge of fluxes and base metals to analyze the parts to be joined. Highly skilled welders work with a wide variety of materials in addition to steel, such as titanium, aluminum, or plastics.

Program Information
Students earning the CLC diploma in this program will earn credits at both the Brainerd and Staples campuses. Courses in blueprint reading, shop mathematics, blueprint reading, and mechanical drawing are among the essential requirements to obtain skills sought by employers. CLC offers a comprehensive foundation to get you started as a technician suited to work in any industrial plant where precision, efficiency, and safety are valued. Instruction takes place in a well-equipped shop for a hands-on, practical experience.

Accreditation
The Machine Tool Technology program at Central Lakes College in 2002 received official designation as a National Institute for Metalworking Skills Accredited Training Program. Job opportunities and advancement can be enhanced as well by becoming certified in a particular machining skill. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills has developed standards for machine setters, operators, and tenders—metal. After taking a course approved by the organization and passing a written exam and performance requirement, the worker is issued a credential that signifies competence in a specific machining operation.

Employment Opportunities
Job prospects should be excellent over the next 10 years as employers report difficulty finding enough qualified people. In addition, many openings are expected to arise as a large number of workers retire over the next decade. The construction industry is expected to have solid growth over the next decade and an increasing demand for welders. Government funding for shipbuilding as well as for infrastructure repairs and improvements are expected to generate additional welding jobs.