Teaching the Next Generation Of Welders

The AWS Detroit Section is dedicated to support welding programs to young people in the Detroit, Michigan, area. Learn more about our vocational school involvement with the Golightly Career and Technical Center.

VoTech Project at Golightly Career and Technical Center

We have been involved with Golightly Career and Technical Center, at 900 Dickerson Avenue in Detroit, for three years, setting up and maintaining the very first student chapter located within the actual city limits. The chapter has helped many young people find their way into a career in the welding field, and we are very proud of this historic achievement. We will continue to work on prepping the students for the Skills USA competition and the AWS High School Welding Competition.

Golightly Project History

Along with the instructor, Juan Whiting, we have headed the Weld Advisory Committee at Golightly for the past three years. This has been a great opportunity to work with the students and support their welding program. We have assisted them in extending their education and finding AWS scholarships, and we have attended career nights and parent's nights to talk about the many great opportunities in the welding industry.

Golightly Field Trip

Golightly had a field trip to KUKA robotics, KUKA did an outstanding job taking the students through their facility and explaining the many aspects of robotics in manufacturing and material handling. KUKA presented a short lecture on robotics in the work place and how while robots may take one job from people they in turn create other jobs that require new skills and a better working environment by doing tasks that are either considered heavy labor or redundant. KUKA also gave a short lesson on robot programing and allowed each student to work with the robots and test their skills with a teach pendent this was very enjoyable to the students and it was obvious that some of the students had a strong interest in robotics. We would like to thank Andre Young and all the people at KUKA that made this trip possible.

Colleges, Universities specializing in Weld Technologies

• Ferris State University
• Michigan Technical University
• Mott Community College
• Henry Ford Community College
• Macomb County Community College
• St. Clair County Community College
• Wayne County Community College

• Washtenaw Community College
• Schoolcraft College
• Baker College of Flint
• Lambton College
• North Central Michigan College
• St.Clair College
• Letourneau University

• Monroe County Community College
• Ohio State University
• Gogebic Community College
• Lansing Community College
• Oakland Community College
• University of Windsor