Lincoln Electric Partners with Waukesha County Technical College to Open Welding Training Center

Lincoln Electric (Cleveland, OH) has joined forces with Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) to open a new world-class welding demonstration and training facility, the first of its kind in Wisconsin.

Officially known as the Lincoln Electric Southeastern Wisconsin Training Center at Waukesha County Technical College, the Pewaukee, WI-based school is owned and operated by WCTC and sponsored by Lincoln Electric. The center was completely revamped and outfitted with the latest Lincoln Electric welding, cutting and fume control equipment and technology.

The 4,000 sq ft welding lab features 55 new Lincoln Electric welding stations, bringing the college’s total welding lab space to approximately 8,000 sq ft with 93 welding stations. The Lincoln Electric agreement serves a dual role:

• For WCTC, this public/private partnership supports and enhances the college’s existing welding program and provides graduates with the welding skills for today’s job market requirements.
• For Lincoln Electric, the center provides a venue for the manufacturer to conduct customer seminars and training for new products, cost reduction, productivity/process improvements, automation and engineering design, as well as for continuing education for existing customers and distributors.

WCTC School of Applied Technologies dean Mike Shiels said the agreement allows welding students to train on the newest, state-of-the-art equipment available. There are currently 250 students enrolled in WCTC’s welding programs.

“Partnering with Lincoln Electric allows WCTC to continue to grow and expand our welding programs and meet the needs of local industry,” he said.

“The new Training Center is a win-win for Waukesha County Technical College, its students and Lincoln Electric,” stated Bob Dempsey, the district sales manager for Lincoln Electric. “The College benefits from a full complement of updated equipment addressing every commonly used arc welding process, as well as a comprehensive fume control system. Working with the latest high technology equipment, the students are better prepared for employment in a number of industries. We are also excited to introduce our industrial customers to the facility for product demonstrations, and more importantly, to do our part to build awareness among prospective employers for the WCTC program and its fabrication graduates.”

The new Training Center is located at the College’s Pewaukee campus, 800 Main St., Pewaukee. For more information about WCTC welding programs or Lincoln Electric, visit www.wctc.edu or www.lincolnelectric.com.

Lincoln Electric is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln has 48 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 19 countries and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries. www.lincolnelectric.com.

Waukesha County Technical College, the leader in workforce development, prepares learners for success within the region and global economy. The College offers more than 130 areas of study including associate degree, technical diploma, apprenticeship and short-term certificate programs. Customized training for employers is also available. www.wctc.edu.