This program prepares students to enter welding-related occupations, offers retraining for those seeking a new career, and provides an opportunity for those employed in welding occupations to learn new skills and upgrade themselves in their positions.
The department is a member of the American Welding Society’s Educational Institution Program for entry level welders and is entitled to all the privileges. This entry level welder program is part of the National Skills Standards Program, which is being enacted across a wide range of industries in the United States.
The program prepares students to pass welding performance tests based on the AWS D1.1 Structural Steel Code as well as preparation for the LA city welding license test under the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. The program offers a certificate of achievement in welding, and an associate degree may be obtained upon completion of 21 units of welding coursework in addition to general education.
Career Opportunities
Boilermakers, Iron Workers, Maintenance Worker, Millwrights, Sheet Metal Workers, Welder, Welder-Fitter, Welding Estimator, Welding Inspector, Welding Instructor, Welding Operator, Welding Sales Representative, Welding Service Representative, Welding Supervisor, Welding Technician
Faculty
Kuhns, Troy
Program Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are statements of the kind of learning a program hopes a student will achieve. The PLOs describe the knowledge, skills, problem-solving, communication, and values that apply to all certificates and/or degrees within that program.
A student receiving a degree or certificate in this field will be able to:
- Demonstrate acceptable safety practices daily in order to prevent injuries of any type.
- Practice and perform welder qualification testing at the appropriate level for the course.
- Interpret drawings and welding symbols in order to weld the correct weld type and size per the detailed joint design.
- Practice and demonstrate welding and cutting job practices in multiple processes appropriate for being a combination welder.
Welding Courses
WELD 50 Introduction to Welding (4.0 Units)
Survey course in all welding processes offered at VVC which covers safety practices, use of equipment, including: Oxy-Acetylene Welding, Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and Flux-Cored Arc Welding. 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours lab. Offered Fall and Spring Semesters.
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 51 Oxyacetylene Welding, Cutting & Brazing (4.0 Units)
Develops entry-level skills for the welder in gas welding, braze welding and oxy-fuel cutting. Offered Fall/Spring semesters. Two hours lecture, four hours laboratory per week.
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 52 Shielded Metal Arc Welding Basic (4.0 Units)
Develops entry-level shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) skills for the welder.
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 53 Shielded Metal Arc Welding Advanced (4.0 Units)
Develops skills to produce high quality multi-pass all position groove welds with and without backing.
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 57 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (4.0 Units)
Develops entry-level gas tungsten arc welding skills; setting up and adjusting equipment, and all position welding on mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Offered Fall and Spring semesters. (No prerequisite). 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours laboratory.
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 57A Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Basic (2.0 Units)
Develops entry level gas tungsten arc welding skills; setting up and adjusting equipment, and in position welding on mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
Lecture Hours: 18.0; Lab Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 57B Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Advanced (2.0 Units)
Develops advanced gas tungsten arc welding skills in out-of-position welding on mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
Lecture Hours: 18.0; Lab Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 58 Gas Metal Arc Welding (4.0 Units)
Develops entry-level skills in gas metal arc welding. Specifically develops skills on all position groove and fillet welds, on single-vee groove butt joints in all positions and weld qualification practice. set-up, adjustment and equipment maintenance. 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours laboratory. Offered Fall and Spring semesters. (No prerequisite)
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 58A Gas Metal Arc Welding Basic (2.0 Units)
Develops entry-level skills in gas metal arc welding. Specifically develops skills on all position groove and fillet welds, set-up, adjustment and equipment maintenance.
Lecture Hours: 18.0; Lab Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 58B Gas Metal Arc Welding Advanced (2.0 Units)
Develops advanced skills in gas metal arc welding. Specifically develops skills on single-vee groove butt joints in all positions and weld qualification practice.
Lecture Hours: 18.0; Lab Hours: 54.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 59 Welding Symbols and Blueprint Reading (1.0 Units)
Develops a technical understanding of engineering drawings and use of information to communicate instructions from the design to the welder and fitter to achieve design objectives.
Lecture Hours: 18.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 60A Welding Laboratory Shield Metal Arc Welding (1-2 Units)
A laboratory class to develop skills in arc welding and welder qualification preparation. Offered Fall, Spring,and Summer sessions. Forty-eight hours of laboratory experience qualifies for 1 unit of credit. (No prerequisite)
Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 60B Welding Laboratory Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (1-2 Units)
A laboratory class to develop skills in gas tungsten arc welding, and welder performance qualification. Offered Fall/Spring/Summer sessions. Forty-eight hours of laboratory experience qualifies for 1 unit of credit.
Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 60C Welding Laboratory Gas Metal Arc Welding (1-2 Units)
A laboratory class to develop skills in gas metal arc welding, and welder performance qualification. Offered Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer sessions. Forty-eight hours of laboratory experience qualifies for 1 unit of credit.
Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 60D Welding Laboratory FCAW (1-2 Units)
A laboratory class to develop skills in flux cored arc welding or welder performance qualification. Offered Fall/Spring/Summer sessions. Forty-eight hours of laboratory experience qualifies for 1 unit of credit.
Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 71 Flux Cored Arc Welding (4.0 Units)
Develops skills to produce high quality multi-pass all position groove welds with backing on varying thicknesses of base material utilizing Gas-Shielded and Self-Shielded Flux Core Wires.
Prerequisite(s): WELD-58A
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 72 Gas Arc Welding (4.0 Units)
Develops introductory skills for pipe welding in the 1G and 2G positions without backing using the Shielded Metal Arc and Gas Tungsten Arc welding processes. 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours laboratory.
Prerequisite(s): WELD-53, Minimum grade C
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 73 Intermediate Pipe Welding (4.0 Units)
Develops intermediate skills for pipe welding in the 5G uphill and downhill positions without backing using the Shielded Metal Arc and Gas Tungsten Arc welding processes. 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours laboratory.
Prerequisite(s): WELD-, Minimum grade C
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 74 Flux Cored Arc Weld (4.0 Units)
Develops advanced skills for pipe welding in the 6G position without backing using the Shielded Metal Arc and Gas Tungsten Arc welding processes. 32-36 hours lecture and 96-108 hours laboratory.
Prerequisite(s): WELD-73, Minimum grade C
Lecture Hours: 36.0; Lab Hours: 108.0
Transfer: Not transferable
WELD 99 Independent Study (0.5-4 Units)
n/a
Transfer: Not transferable