MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - From behind a blue plastic curtain that covers a small metal cubicle, a bright light flickers. The sound of metal grinding echoes throughout the concrete room as Roberto Rotgers welds together steel plates.
Rotgers is one of eight students hoping to achieve 1G certification through the American Welding Society in an adult class at Cape May County Technical High School.
“This is something I always wanted to do, even in my teenage years,” said Rotgers, 49, of Egg Harbor Township.
Nationally, welders are in high demand. And while not as sought-after in South Jersey, those who are willing to relocate are able to quickly find work.
“It’s pretty popular right now,” said AWS inspector Blair McCloskey of Belvidere, Warren County. “Among union iron workers, the ones who are laid off for the least amount of days are welders. It’s an in-demand field.”
Program instructor Thomas Jackson has been teaching welding at Cape Tech for 18 years. A few years ago, he expanded the program to include the AWS certification.
“Because of people stopping me in ShopRite and other public places and saying, ’Tom, we would love to have something for adults where we can learn to be employable,’” Jackson said. “My program is one of the rare programs that do this in the state. People come from all over.”
He said the class is open to anyone 18 or older, and students’ employment backgrounds differ greatly.
“A lot of people just want to change their trade, or maybe in their industry, it’s going a little slow for them, so they’re going back to school for a different kind of education,” Jackson said.
Rotgers, who grew up in Puerto Rico, worked in the casinos until the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort closed in October 2016. When he started looking into welding classes, Cape Tech’s program was the only one in the area that offered certification, he said.
“You know, it takes me a half hour to get from home to here, but I’ve been doing it since Sept. 11, so I hope this works out for the best. You know, hope for the best,” Rotgers said.
Galloway Township resident Matthew Burd also makes the trek to the Crest Haven Complex each week for the course. The 22-year-old said he was working at ShopRite after high school and “needed something to do.”
Burd previously took basic welding classes at the Atlantic County Institute of Technology.
“I really enjoyed it,” Burd said. “I’m young, so I feel like a lot of companies wouldn’t hire me unless I had certification.”
Jackson said jobs are available in shipyards, refineries and in unions closer to Camden. He said a lot of employers are looking for candidates with experience. The certification gives them an edge.
“If you only have classroom experience, it’s hard to get your foot in the door,” he said. “They want to make sure that you’re a decent welder.”
McCloskey was at Cape Tech on Wednesday for the visual inspection portion of the test. Those samples that pass are sent for a stress test. He said it takes a lot of precision to become a welder, but also artistic talent.
“Because if you don’t have good hand-eye coordination, then it’s going to be ugly. And ugly won’t work,” he said.
Jackson said he often has employers coming to him looking for potential employees. He said even with the number of students coming out his class with certification, he is not able to keep up with the demand.
National labor data from 2017 show there are about 377,250 welders in the United States, and most make about $40,000 a year. Texas has the highest employment level for welders, while Louisiana has the highest concentration of jobs, with an average salary about $10,000 more than the national rate.
Although South Jersey is not a hotbed for welding employment, the Jersey City area has one of the highest employment levels in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The national occupational outlook says welding jobs are expected to grow 6 percent in the next decade.
“Employment growth reflects the need for welders in manufacturing because of the importance and versatility of welding as a manufacturing process,” the bureau reports.
New power-generation facilities, including fuel pipelines, also offer opportunities for welders willing to relocate.
Burd said if he passes, he already has a couple of job prospects lined up.
“I just want to get my foot in the door,” he said.
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Information from: The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.), http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com
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