Kankakee Area Career Center

Welding Technology Program Information

KACC’s Welding program is rooted in the fundamentals of most every welding and cutting process. Students gain a strong foundation as they move into a more formal educational setting, whether college, apprenticeship, or on-the-job training.

First-year students learn shielded metal arc welding, oxy-fuel welding, and manual and mechanized flame cutting. We also cover welding symbols, measurements, and industry safety.

Students will move into gas tungsten arc welding and wire feed welding processes during their second year— solid wire and dual shield. They will cover the plasma arc cutting process and the air/carbon arc cutting and gouging process. Second-year students will also learn blueprint reading and fundamental metallurgy.

All students, whether first or second year, will weld utilizing various joints in various positions, from flat to overhead.

Review the Welding Technology sections below:

College Credits

Industry Certifications

Requirements & Costs

Career Opportunities

Personal Qualities

Schoolwide KACC Training

Questions on Welding Technology? Contact KACC Today!

Welding Technology College Credits*

KACC's Welding Technology curriculum has been designed to include college-level material each year. Students completing two years in this program can earn credits at either Kankakee Community College or Prairie State College.

* Dual College Credits are subject to change (last reviewed Sep 2023). Please email KACC for more information.

Kankakee Community College
WELD 1114: Basic Welding - 4 Credit Hours
WELD 2224: Metallic Inert Gas Welding - 4 Credit Hours (2nd year students)
AUTO 1073: Ignition and Electrical 1 - 3 Credit Hours
Prairie State College
DRAFT115: Blueprint Reading - 3 Credit Hours (2nd year students)

Welding Technology Industry Certifications*

* Industry certifications are subject to change (last reviewed Sep 2023). Please email KACC for more information.

American Welding Society Scholars Excelling through National Standards Education (SENSE) Level I Certification (2nd year students)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 Certification

Welding Technology Requirements & Costs*

* Requirements & Costs are subject to change (last reviewed Sep 2023). Please email KACC for more information.

Jeans-No rips and/or frayed edged (work pants of a duck cloth type material are also acceptable)

Welding jacket-all leather or leather sleeved

All leather work style boots-must be above the ankle (steel toe not required but ok)

Leather welding gloves-gauntlet cuffed

Welding cap- a baseball style cap that has no synthetic fibers is acceptable as well

Welding hood with #10 and #5 shaded lenses and extra/spare clear protective lenses (auto darkening lenses are also acceptable)

Clear safety glasses (first pair provided)

Channel Lock or Vice Grip style pliers (1st-year students)

MIG Pliers (2nd-year students)

Tungsten (2nd-year students only)
- 2-3 pcs. 1/16” Rare Earth or purple-tipped
- 1 pkg 3/32” Rare Earth or purple-tipped

Chipping hammer

Wire brush

Writing instruments (pens and/or pencils)

Spiral notebook dedicated for welding

1-three-ring binder

Welding Technology Career Opportunities

Welding careers offer a wide range of possibilities with excellent salary opportunities. Here are a few examples.

Certified welders

Fitters

Inspection and Design professionals

Welding Engineers

Those involved in studying and developing new metals and joining processes.

Welding Technology Personal Qualities

Students can enhance their experience in the Welding Technology program by possessing the following key personal qualities.

Willingness to work hard

Enjoys working with tools and machinery

Willing to repeat a welding exercise many, many times until it is perfect

Looking for a rewarding and challenging experience

Schoolwide KACC Training

Significant benefits are available to students who remain focused and diligent at KACC. The staff at KACC enjoys supporting our youth in achieving their dreams beyond high school. We have established the following to assist our community to flourish post-high school years. Please review our Workplace Excellence Badges, Career Coaching, and Specific Benefits Gained Through KACC sections below.

Workplace Excellence Soft/Essential Skill Badges Earned

ADAPTability	COMMUNICATIONability
DEPENDability	REASONability
PRESENTability	WORKability
SUITability	TRANSITIONability
RESPECTability	WRITEability

Super Badge: Solidifying collective competency in all of the above areas

Career Coaching

Online Portfolio

Cover Letter

Introduction Letter

Resume

Reference Letters

LinkedIn Profile

Interviewing Skills

Career Exploration

Financial Planning

Scholarship Essay Writing

Specific Benefits Gained Through KACC

2 Year CTE Diploma - Recognizing students who attended KACC for 2 consecutive years
- Received an Attendance of 90% or higher
- Received a "B" Average or better (1st year entirety, and at least the first 3 semesters of the 2nd year)
- Received competency (90% or higher) in employability skills, and
- Received a Workplace Excellence Super Badge

KACC Student Advisory Committee

SkillsUSA participation and recognition on state and national levels & scholarships offered

National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) qualification & scholarships offered

KACC Scholarships are offered to all KACC Seniors who apply

Hands-on experiences through KACC class and internship opportunities through established connections to business and industry through KACC

Classes taught by those who have succeeded in the jobs they represent

Positive referrals and evaluations from KACC teachers about work students have completed while at KACC further student engagement to showcase their skills.