Jason Frey, secondary welding instructor at the George County Center, won fifth place at the Professional Welding Competition held during the annual Fabtech International and American Welding Society (AWS) Welding Show. More than 200 professional welders competed at the event and more than 35,000 attended the conference, which was held Nov. 1-19, 2009 in Chicago.
“It was an exciting event,” Frey said. “Placing fifth really was a surprise and made the trip extra nice. I really had attended the show just to learn a few new techniques. When I found out about the competition, I decided to give it a shot.” He said he received an auto-darkening welding hood, jacket and gloves as part of his prize.
Frey teaches both the secondary welding program and short-term welding classes offered at Gulf Coast through a Department of Labor grant. “The secondary program that I teach offers high school students the opportunity to learn a skill that can land them a job right after high school. The short-term program, which is offered across the college district, includes 220 hours of training to prepare participants for welding certification tests and potential jobs. Welders are in demand, so it is a good field to be in even with the economy the way it is.”
In the past year, Gulf Coast has awarded 481 credentials to 154 participants in the much-needed metal trades programs offered through the Momentum WIRED (Workforce Innovation for Regional Economic Development) grant. Gulf Coast participates in the U.S. Department of Labor grant, along with Pearl River Community College and Jones County Junior College.
“Jason is just the kind of instructor we appreciate having at Gulf Coast,” said Larry Porter, master trainer with the WIRED program, “He is highly skilled and relates well to his students and participants in the short-term program. Our goal is to prepare people in the college’s four-county district for successful careers. We do this by offering world-class instruction by outstanding instructors like Jason.”
For more information about WIRED programs, call 1-877-770-Metal or Virginia Overstreet at the Gulfport WIN Job Center at 228-539-6312.
