A welding “boot camp” will be offered this fall at McHenry County College.
According to a recent survey, businesses in the county were in search of 40 welders, said Cathy Maxwell, executive dean of business and technology of the community college on the north side of Crystal Lake.
The 40-hour non-college-credit class will be taught by veteran welders and help prepare people for an entry-level job, Maxwell said. There will be six students per class, which will begin in October.
Adrienne Zalkind, a spokeswoman with the Miami-based American Welding Society, said there are more than 500,000 welders in the U.S. and the average age is about 55. By 2010, she estimated there will be a potential shortage of about 200,000 welders nationwide.
The cost of the class is $1,000.
