Beginning on February 20, Danville Community College (DCC) will begin offering ‘Women in Welding,’ a unique, 325-hour program that will empower women in our community to break into a high-paying field where they might otherwise be considered a minority.
“According to a 2015 study, only 5% of welders in the U.S. are women,” said Dr. Brian Jackson, vice president of work force services for DCC. “Welding is one of the higher-paying jobs in the trade industry and we want to empower women to learn this skill, become certified, and accept a well-paying job.”
The ‘Women in Welding’ program at DCC will take place on Saturdays and Sundays only, allowing women who work during the week to have an opportunity to change their career path during their free time.
“We know that many women have obligations that would prevent them from coming to our campus during the week to receive this training,” said Dr. Jackson. “We want to make this program as accessible as possible so that students will not have to sacrifice other areas of their life to participate.”
Women who complete this program will receive an NCCER Level 1 training certificate and the opportunity to accept a job at Newport News Shipyard where their annual salary will be approximately $60k annually.
“Ensuring that there are employment opportunities after graduation is absolutely essential to solidifying the success of our students,” said Dr. Jackson. “Whenever we offer a program, we work directly with our partners in the industry to have jobs waiting for our graduates.”
The first cohort to participate in the ‘Women in Welding’ program will have 8 spaces available. For more information, or to enroll in the ‘Women in Welding’ program, contact Chad Younger at (434) 797-8573 or chadrick.younger@danville.edu.
Danville Community College is a two-year institution of higher education under the state-wide Virginia Community College System. DCC's service area includes the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County. For more information about the college’s nearly 100 programs of study, visit www.danville.edu.
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