Copperas Cove High students earn welding certifications, ready for world of work

By Wendy Sledd
Special to Leader-Press

More than two dozen Copperas Cove High School students earned their welding certifications in the 2021-2022 school year making them ready to begin a lucrative career straight out of high school.  
“I pursued a certification in welding because it has been something I’ve wanted to do for years,” said 2022 CCHS graduate Untay Johnson. “This certification has really changed my life around because it has given me the true opportunity to go out and start a great and adventure-full career doing one of the things I love the most. It doesn’t get any better than having a career doing something you truly enjoy.”
The average salary of a beginning welder in Texas is $43,370 as of May 27, 2022, according to Salary.com. CCHS students earned their American Welding Society Certifications, Texas Education Agency approved industry-based certifications, among the more than 30 that are offered to CCHS students. Students tested for two welding certifications in tack welding and fillet welding.
“Through classroom instruction, students discussed the AWS Structural Code and ASME Pressure Vessel Code, and the fillet weld break test and acid macro-etch test before moving into the welding lab to learn hands-on skills,” said CCHS Career Technology Education Coordinator Sandra Perry. “Students’ work was inspected for weld defects, code criteria, and addressed the use of weld inspection gauges to assess weld quality.”
CCHS offers both Welding I and Welding II classes, but classroom size limits enrollment.  CCISD expects to break ground on its new Career Technology Education center this summer. The building will house both constructing and manufacturing trades as well as welding, allowing for increased enrollment.
“Learning hands-on applications in a high paying field seems to be a strong path to prepare for a future career in a skilled trade. Becoming certified allows me a greater chance at securing a job, allowing a strong start to my future, post high school,” said Agriculture Mechanics Student Rafe Anderson. “My ultimate career goal is to have a career I enjoy. As a kid, I always had an interest in welding, and now I have the opportunity to exploit that while allowing for the betterment of my future.”
At the June school board meeting, CCISD trustees approved the purchase from budgeted funds of $135,386.46 in additional welding equipment as the trades program continues to grow. 
“Through AWS, we are able to send students out into the trade fields potentially certified in 21 welding positions and across three different welding processes,” CCHS 2021-2022 Welding Instructor Richard Ellis said. “Through these certifications, we are able to send our students out the day they graduate prepared to walk onto a job site and get to work.”