College of the Rockies hosting summer welding camp

Thanks to funding from the CWA Foundation, the Minds Over Metal summer camp is available free of charge.

by Keith Powell — July 05, 2016

The welding trades has many great career opportunities ranging from welder, welding inspector, welding researcher and even welding engineer. — Photo courtesy COTR

College of the Rockies, in conjunction with the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation, will be hosting a free welding summer camp for students aged 12 to 15 years from July 18 to 22.

The CWA Foundation hosted its first pilot welding camp in the summer of 2014 in Edmonton, Alberta and is now introducing the camps to all provinces across Canada. This summer the Foundation will be funding over 35 camps in almost every province across Canada.

The welding trades has many great career opportunities ranging from welder, welding inspector, welding researcher and even welding engineer. This camp is a chance to share the opportunities available with youth, especially youth who may be at risk.

“These camps are specifically designed to provide at-risk youth with an introduction to the welding profession and the great career options that are available, while being supervised by professionals in a safe environment,” says Deborah Mates, Director of the CWA Foundation.

“We will be introducing participants to welding safety, Gas Metal Arc welding, weld symbols and a brief history of the impact welding has on our daily lives,” adds Ken McKay, welding instructor at College of the Rockies. “Then the students will have the opportunity to practice on the welding simulator before moving on to real arcs and sparks – creating their very own projects.”

Thanks to funding from the CWA Foundation, the Minds Over Metal summer camp is available free of charge. It will run from 8:30am to 2:00pm Monday to Friday from July 18 to 22. Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day.

“The support from industry, parents and College of the Rockies - for providing use of their facilities and instructors – has been quite remarkable,” Mates concludes. “This is just one of many outreach projects throughout the country the Foundation has planned for this year.”

For more information or to register for the Minds Over Metal summer camp, contact Loriann Keehn at 250 489-2751 ext 3242 or [email protected]