The Kishwaukee College Welding department hosted representatives from Enbridge Energy for a guest lecture and demonstration on April 30. Students in Zach Caccia’s welding classes and KEC welding students accompanied by College administrators, including President Laurie Borowicz, welcomed Enbridge representatives from the Griffith, Indiana location.
The Kishwakee students were in the Certification Welding Class WT-257 preparing to
take their AWS D1.1 Structural Steel Plate welding certification test. Enbridge master
welder Dan Morang lectured on common mistakes made in welding and ways to avoid them.
He offered technical tips for an uphill butt weld and demonstrated multi-pass welds.
Fellow master welder and gauger Dave Losiniecki demonstrated additional techniques
on various sized pipes and answered questions. Students were able to practice their
welding techniques on a 36” diameter pipe that Enbridge donated for demonstration
and practice purposes. The master welders have over 50 years of combined experience.
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do for a career but I knew I liked working with my hands,” said Tim Riley, Kish welding student. “I went to KEC as a senior in high school and became interested in welding. I view myself as a craftsman now and enjoy seeing my work put into a real-life situation.” Riley, of Sycamore, was a recent recipient of the Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship.
Enbridge Energy is North America’s premier energy infrastructure company with a long history of commitment to educational opportunities. They have made generous monetary and material donations to the College and established the Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship through the Kishwaukee College Foundation as a demonstration of their continued support of technical education.
“I recommend people go into the trades,” stated Enbridge apprentice welder Tyler Losiniecki. He cites financial security, career advancement opportunities, and the ability to support a family as key factors in his decision to pursue the trade.
With over 30 years of experience, Morang believes “welding is a dying trade. There’s not enough kids taking up the slack of those retiring from the trade.” The American Welding Society predicts a shortage of over 450,000 skilled welding professionals by 2022. Welders create, design, and build with metal across industries including oil and gas, construction, aerospace, shipbuilding, and electronics, to name a few.
Kishwaukee College offers a one-year basic welding technology certificate that covers Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Oxyfuel, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and print reading in preparation for a Welding Certification. For more information about Kishwaukee College’s welding program, visit www.kish.edu/welding.
For more information on Enbridge Energy, visit www.enbridge.com/.
Photo: Enbridge master welders give guest lecture to Kishwaukee College and Kishwaukee Education Consortium welding students. Pictured: Enbridge master welder Dan Morang demonstrates multi-pass welds to Kish and KEC welding students.