BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Universal Technical Institute in Bloomfield is putting some of its top instructors to work as it recently bega training students in its Welding Technology Training Program. Students enrolled in the 36-week program will benefit from the expertise of instructors such as Cesar Cordero, who will teach the hard and soft skills needed for welding careers in industries ranging from automotive fabrication to construction to aerospace.
Cordero graduated from UTI Exton in Pennsylvania as an automotive student. His many years working in the automotive industry has made him integral to rolling out new automotive technician courses at UTI Bloomfield. Now he brings more than 12 years of welding experience to students at the school. Cordero worked as a structural welder on the Freedom Tower in New York City, and his skillset also enables him to pursue his passion for making tungsten inert gas welding art.
“Trained welders are needed in virtually every industry,” Cordero said. “They are able to work on everything from automobile fabrication to almost any kind of manufacturing. You can’t build bridges, highways, office buildings, pipelines, power plants, vehicles and spacecraft without welders — they are literally the backbone of our economy. I’m proud to be able to teach my expertise to a new generation, who will see countless opportunities as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects there will be more than 488,000 job openings for welders by the year 2028. The tristate area of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania has one of the highest levels of employment for welders in the country, while the average annual salary for welders in the Garden State is $49,330.
Bloomfield’s welding program is UTI’s seventh, with six campuses having launched successful programs in recent years. The program includes hands-on training and instruction through a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with Lincoln Electric, a global leader in the welding industry.
Despite the many opportunities for trained welders there remains a critical shortage of them. The American Welding Society has warned that the industry will experience a shortfall of more than 375,000 welders by 2023. Some of this shortfall appears to be driven by the stigma that skilled trades like welding lack the prestige of jobs that might require a four-year degree.
However, according to UTI Bloomfield welding instructor Emmanuel Sangale, well-trained welders acquire a high degree of technical skills that open many job opportunities available only to them. Sangale’s more than nine years in welding began when he worked on a construction site fresh out of vocational school.
“I saw other people welding and I realized that was what I wanted to do,” said Sangale, whose career in welding has seen him work on every different welding process, particularly on structural welding and fabrication. “If you enjoy building things and working with your hands you may never want to put down a welding stick once you pick it up.”
“We’re grateful that highly experienced and passionate instructors like Cesar and Emmanuel are welcoming our first crop of welding students,” UTI Bloomfield President Shawn Alexander said. “Partnering with employers and industries has been a key building block to UTI’s success. Welding complements our core technician programs and will give our students and graduates opportunities in an even greater range of industries and employers across the region.”
Photos Courtesy of Jerome Montes
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