By Shirley Shuman
BCHS welding instructor Christopher Cunningham, in the two years he has worked with welding students at the school, has seen many of his welders become nationally certified. He estimates that more than 20 of his students are certified each school year. Since school began this term, three have made the grade.
Ethan Jarvis, Gabe Sigman, and Eddie Evans successfully completed the welding test mandated by the American Welding Society. Cunningham, who gave the test to each one, explained what it entails. “For this test, the student welds two pieces of 3/8” material together. The welder cuts two 2″ wide straps out of this material and then bends one on the face of the weld and the other on the root of the weld for the finished product,” he said.
Once the student has passed the test and met the criteria, the one administering the test then completes the required paperwork. Both the finished weld and the paperwork must be kept for two years. “It must be available for two years so that if someone from AWS comes and wants to inspect it, it’s there,” Cunningham noted. Since Cunningham is certified by the AWS, he can administer the test to his students whenever they are ready to complete the weld. As a result, his students do not have to go to another location for the test.