Welding
Instructor: Mr. Jamie Walden
Visit the Teacher WebsiteBuild Skills That Join Strength and Precision
Welding combines technical skill, precision, creativity, and problem-solving. Welders use heat, electricity, specialized equipment, and proven processes to join and shape metal. Their work supports construction, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, fabrication, and many other industries.
Enoree’s two-year Welding program is part of the South Carolina Manufacturing Career Cluster. Students learn through a combination of classroom instruction and extensive hands-on lab experiences designed to prepare them for advanced training, industry certifications, apprenticeships, and entry-level opportunities in the skilled trades.
Students train with industry-standard equipment while learning to work safely, interpret blueprints and welding symbols, prepare materials, and complete increasingly complex fabrication projects. The program develops the accuracy, consistency, craftsmanship, and dependable work habits expected in professional welding environments.
What Students Learn
- Welding principles, shop safety, and equipment safety
- Blueprint reading, dimensions, views, and structural shapes
- Welding symbols, assembly drawings, and fabrication planning
- Shielded metal arc welding, commonly known as stick welding
- Gas metal arc welding, commonly known as MIG welding
- Gas tungsten arc welding, commonly known as TIG welding
- Metal cutting, joint preparation, fabrication, and inspection
- Creative and specialized welding projects
Certification Opportunities
- Tier 1: OSHA 10-Hour, NCCER Core, and Snap-on/NC3 Precision Measurement
- Tier 2: Welding Technology and Snap-on/NC3 Multimeter 504
- Tier 3: American Welding Society certifications in structural welding, pipe welding, or advanced processes, depending on student progression
Program Credits
Students earn two high school credits each semester and may earn up to eight credits during the two-year program. These credits count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement.
Visit the Program
Prospective students and their families may have opportunities to meet Mr. Walden and tour the Welding lab during the recruitment season. Contact Enoree Career Center for current tour dates and availability.
Year One: Building the Foundation
Welding 1 and 2 | Morning Session at Enoree
Year one introduces students to the foundational skills needed to join metals safely and effectively through classroom instruction and extensive supervised lab work. The program is open to rising 10th- and 11th-grade students who are prepared to make a two-year commitment.
Students begin by learning shop and equipment safety, blueprint reading, technical measurement, material preparation, cutting techniques, and the proper use of welding tools and equipment.
Hands-on instruction introduces several major welding processes, including shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, and gas tungsten arc welding. Students also learn how welding symbols and assembly drawings communicate the type, location, and direction of a required weld.
As students progress through Welding 2, instruction expands to include more complex joint designs, fabrication projects, equipment setup, and basic weld inspection procedures.
Students develop the precision and consistency needed to produce high-quality welds while strengthening their ability to follow specifications, solve problems, manage materials, and complete projects safely.
Students may also use creativity and craftsmanship to complete specialized projects. These experiences help them build confidence, technical skill, and dependable work habits before advancing into higher-level welding processes during year two.
Year Two: Advancing the Skills
Welding 3 and 4 | Afternoon Session at Enoree
Year two challenges students to apply and expand the skills developed during their first year while working toward advanced certifications and professional-level expectations. Instruction moves beyond foundational techniques into advanced welding processes, complex fabrication, quality assurance, and inspection.
Training may include pipe welding, flux-cored arc welding, and advanced gas tungsten arc welding. Students complete projects that require accuracy, consistency, planning, technical problem-solving, teamwork, and close attention to specifications.
Students also increase their independence while learning to select appropriate processes, prepare materials, set up equipment, evaluate weld quality, and make adjustments when completed work does not meet established standards.
A major focus during year two is career readiness. Students strengthen the communication, organization, reliability, and time-management skills expected in professional welding and fabrication environments.
Work-based learning may allow eligible students to apply their classroom and lab instruction with local companies. These experiences provide valuable on-the-job training, expose students to professional workplace expectations, and help them build relationships with employers in construction, manufacturing, and fabrication.
Students may prepare to test for American Welding Society certifications and other advanced industry credentials based on their progression and the certifications available through the program.
Graduates leave with hands-on project experience, technical training, and a foundation that can support apprenticeships, technical college welding programs, employer-based training, or entry-level employment in the skilled trades.
Career Opportunities
Welding can lead to career paths involving metal fabrication, construction, manufacturing, pipe systems, inspection, infrastructure, and specialized industrial work.
Welder/Fabricator
Welder/fabricators construct, repair, and assemble metal products and structures. Their work may include reading blueprints, measuring and cutting materials, preparing joints, welding components, operating fabrication equipment, and inspecting completed work for accuracy.
Pipe Welder
Pipe welders assemble, install, repair, and inspect piping systems according to technical specifications. They prepare materials, align and secure pipe components, select appropriate welding processes, and complete welds that must meet strict safety and quality standards.
Certified Welding Inspector
Certified Welding Inspectors evaluate weld quality, workmanship, materials, procedures, and compliance with applicable specifications or codes. This advanced career requires substantial welding knowledge, professional experience, and additional certification.
Skills for Success
Successful students and welding professionals develop technical ability along with dependable workplace habits. Important skills and expectations include:
- Safety awareness: Follow shop procedures, recognize hazards, and use required personal protective equipment.
- Analytical thinking: Examine completed welds, identify potential defects, and determine whether work meets required specifications.
- Blueprint reading: Interpret technical drawings, dimensions, welding symbols, structural shapes, and assembly instructions.
- Dexterity and coordination: Control tools and equipment carefully while maintaining proper position, angle, movement, and speed.
- Physical stamina: Remain productive while standing, bending, lifting materials, and working in a variety of positions.
- Attention to detail: Prepare materials, set up equipment, complete welds, and inspect finished work carefully.
Work Environment
Welding laboratories and workplaces may include heat, sparks, bright light, fumes, noise, sharp materials, heavy equipment, and hot metal. Students must be willing to follow all safety requirements and wear appropriate protective equipment, which may include a welding helmet, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, protective clothing, and appropriate footwear.
Certification Opportunities
Select a certification organization below to learn more.
Local Work-Based Learning Partners
Local employers help students connect classroom and lab instruction with professional workplace experiences.
Graduation and college admission note: Credits earned through this program count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement. Most four-year colleges do not accept career center courses as substitutes for foreign language courses required for college admission. Students should review admission requirements with their school counselor.