NTEA, in collaboration with Lincoln Electric, announced the Work Truck Industry Welder Certification Program. Through this new initiative, work truck industry businesses will have access to a consistent training curriculum and program content they can utilize for employee development.
“One of the most critical issues within the work truck industry is attracting, training, and retaining workers—especially the skilled trades such as welding—due to increasingly high demand,” said Steve Carey, NTEA president and CEO. “This program was truly a collaborative effort by the entire industry. This initiative would not be possible without the effort of numerous NTEA member companies that volunteered their time and expertise to work with Lincoln Electric and NC3 to bring this program to fruition. We’re excited to introduce a work truck industry focused program that will help organizations train and certify existing employees and develop that much-needed talent pool pipeline.”
David Ehrlich, NTEA director of education, added, “NTEA is dedicated to identifying resources and solutions to help our members address key workforce development issues. In 2019, we formed a working group comprised of representatives from industry companies, both manufacturers and distributors, as well as academia. Leveraging their combined insights, they provided extensive input on what a work-ready welder looks like in our industry, identifying the necessary skills and developing parameters for a certification program to ensure a consistent training methodology utilizing world-class curriculum materials.”
Program details
The initial phase of the Work Truck Industry Welder Certification Program will include the following elements: Safety, Principles of Welding, and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). NTEA expects to expand program elements in the future, featuring additional processes and advanced welding content as well as add-on training options focused on other materials such as aluminum or stainless steel.
“Our objective was to develop an industry-specific program company trainers and their trainees could complete in approximately six to eight weeks that can be done in-house or with an academia partner,” Ehrlich said. “The program trainers will use in their workplace leverages curriculum developed by Lincoln Electric and an online portal that houses materials and assessments developed by NC3 as well as practical welding exercises that are highlighted throughout the program.”
Getting started
- Companies interested in participating in the Work Truck Industry Welder Certification Program will begin by completing the program application and submitting it to NC3.
- The company will designate at least one individual to attend a train-the-trainer program at Lincoln Electric’s Welding Technology and Training Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon earning a certificate of completion, these individuals will have the ability to train and certify other employees at their companies.
- Following the train-the-trainer program, NC3 will provide ongoing support, including a sample implementation plan that companies use to build their programs for their workplace.
To learn more about the program and sign up for updates when registration opens in first-quarter 2022, visit ntea.com/weldercertification.
Lincoln Electric will have a VRTEX VR Welding Simulator at Work Truck Week 2022, held in Indianapolis, March 8–11, 2022.
