By Richard Polk, the Star Democrat
WYE MILLS - It is a small, unassuming building on the back side of the campus. With large MTC letters on the front of the one-story building, it is called the Manufacturing and Training Center. It looks out of place with the other large modern buildings at Chesapeake College. It fact it was one of the first buildings on the site. The welding equipment housed in the building was used to help build the rest of the campus and stayed to be the foundation of the school’s welding program. It has attracted a steady stream of students ever since. For some it is to pursue a degree or be certified. Others sign up to improve their knowledge at work while for others it is just out of curiosity. “I was actually terrified of it when I got to class. I never had any desire to do welding,” said Colleen Ryan of Easton, a student in the basic welding class. Ryan said she is taking the course to aid her engineering degree. Her fears have eased as the course progressed. “As I do it, it does get a little better. I feel pretty good about it now,” Ryan said. Nick Dorey of Chesterton feels it will be a useful skill to have. “I’m taking it because I want to, not because I have to,” he said. “I always wanted to learn how to weld. I dabbled with it at camp and it excited me,” he said. Dorey plans to take the second level course. Then he plans to go to either Jacksonville State in Florida or the University of Akron in Ohio. Those schools also have competitive shooting teams which is his other love. For William Moulden of Stevensville, his interest started by taking a welding class at Queen Anne’s County High School. He now wants to make welding a career. Anthony Graves of Easton felt knowing how to weld would enhance his value at his workplace on Kent Island. “I can apply it to work. What I learn I can bring back to the house,” he said. He also plans to get certified. For whatever reason, instructor Bruce Dempsey has 100 to 120 people attend his welding program at Chesapeake College each year. There are five courses in the welding catalogue: basic arc welding, intermediate welding, advanced welding, pipe welding 1 and pipe welding 2. Chesapeake is the only school in the state that teaches welding as both a continuing education program or a credit course, Dempsey said. In basic arc, welding students learn basic burning and safety practices. It is held for three and a half hours long each Monday night. Dempsey teaches the intermediate course on Tuesdays and advanced welding on Wednesdays. The program can help students achieve their AWS or American Welding Services certification, which is recognized worldwide. Presently there are at least 200,000 welding jobs available nationwide, said Dempsey. The number has stayed fairly stable during the past few years; as new people enter the industry, there are also a number of people leaving or retiring from the field each year, Dempsey said. The welding program is part of the college’s technical skills or technology catalogue rather than the scholastic program. Bob Faiella is the director of the school’s Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Training. Along with welding there are also programs in truck driver training, electricity air conditioning. Future programs include carpentry and culinary or food preparation, Faiella said