Free Welding Training At Brookdale Community College

LINCROFT, NJ — Brookdale and Ocean County community colleges are partnering for the third time this summer to offer free welding training for unemployed individuals beginning on July 10. Interested applicants must attend an info session held at Brookdale on July 5.

Successful graduates will earn a national welding certification and receive assistance in starting their career. Nearly all of Brookdale's past graduates began work immediately after the program ended. Pictured above, Jesus Fonseca of Red Bank, practices his welding skills during the free training program last year.

“Welders have a bright future in the years ahead,” said Brookdale business training manager James McCarthy. “So we are bringing in professional instructors and providing hands-on training to ensure our graduates are ready to get to work.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median wage for qualified welders was $18.34 per hour in 2015. The industry is expected to grow by nearly five percent between 2014 and 2024.

The free welding training program will be held from July 10 to Aug. 14 in Toms River. The 182-hour program, open to unemployed individuals with a high school diploma or equivalency degree, will cover a wide range of hands-on skills and basic industry knowledge, including arc welding, welding fabrication, blueprint reading, resume writing and job search skills.

At the conclusion of the program students will sit for an American Welding Society certification exam, after which they will be eligible for an entry-level position in the field. The training program also offers job placement assistance.

All interested candidates must register for and an attend an information session on July 5 at 11 am at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. Attendees must bring an updated resume. To register or for more information visit www.brookdalecc.edu/freetraining or contact James McCarthy at 732-224-2186or email jmccarthy@brookdalecc.edu.

The training program is funded by the federal Ready to Work grant program and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.