Welding Technology

Hands On Training. Heavy Duty Career.

Adult Costs

$2,850

Program Length

16 months

Next Start Date

5/18/2026

Enroll by

May 7th

Location

Main Campus

Learn More

Your name

Turn Sparks into a Career: Master the Art of Welding

Learn the safety, tools, materials, and techniques needed for a start in the welding technology industry. From heavy-duty production to decorative work, students gain the skills needed to find jobs in their field and be successful in their work.

Avg. Salary

$50k

for OTECH Grads

Career Growth

2.10%

by 2032 in Utah

Day in the Life

Clad in protective gear, you spend much of your time joining, cutting, or repairing metal parts using specialized equipment like arc welders, plasma cutters, or robotic welding tools. Precision and safety are key as you work in environments ranging from fabrication shops to construction sites. At the end of the day, you find satisfaction in building strong, lasting structures—each weld a mark of craftsmanship and skill.

Career Skills You'll Learn:

Safety

Learn safety with tools, fire protection, and other topics applicable to the welding trade.

Gas Metal Arc Welding

Use a wire electrode and shielding gas to weld metal pieces together in all positions.

Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Safely set up and weld metal using continuously fed flux-cored wire in all positions.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Use a flux-coated electrode to weld two metal pieces together in all positions.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Use a tungsten electrode and inert gas to weld two metal pieces together in all positions.

Cutting

Learn the proper operating techniques using plasma arc and oxyfuel cutting processes.

Potential Career Paths

Welder

Fuse metal parts together using heat and tools, often in construction, manufacturing, or repair settings.

Fabricator

Transform raw materials into finished products or components by cutting, shaping, and assembling various parts.

Metal Finisher

Prepare metal surfaces for further processing or a final product appearance by grinding, sanding, polishing, and applying coatings.

Foreman (with further education)

Oversee and coordinate welding operations, ensuring projects are completed efficiently, safely, and to the required quality standards.

Business Owner (with further education)

Responsible for both the technical aspects of welding and the overall management of the business.

OTECH Partners who hire our Welding Technology graduates

Program Overview

In the Welding Technology certificate program, students receive hands-on instruction in safety, welding, and cutting on a variety of metals. Instruction includes basic Oxy Fuel Cutting (OFC), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), and other thermal and mechanical cutting processes. Students also learn welding process-specific and welding shop safety practices, basic print reading, and the proper uses and applications of AWS welding symbols.

Classroom Hours
Day: M-F 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Day: M-F 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Eve: M-Th 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Enrollment open to
Adults, High school students

Credit transfer options
Available to view here

Tuition & Cost

Estimated Adult Tuition and Fees
$2,895.00

Estimated Materials Cost
$420.45

Estimated High School Student Cost
$0.00

Financial Aid Eligibility
Scholarship: Yes
VA: Yes
Pell Grant: Yes

MaterialRequiredNew
Earplugs$1.00
Fillet Gauges$10.00
High top leather work shoes, steel toe perferable$100.00
Respirator$40.00
Safety Glasses Clear$2.99
Soapstone$0.65
Tape Measure$13.99
Welding Cap$20.00
Welding Gloves$21.95
Welding Helmet/Hood$150.00
Welding Jacket, sleeves, apron, or cape$100.00
Welpers$20.00
Work Gloves$13.49
Larry Jeffus Welding Principles and Applications. 9th.. ISBN: 9780357377659$169.50
Subtotal of required materials$422.42
TEWT 1010 Measurement Systems
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Robert Chasan Practical Problems in Mathematics for Welders ISBN: 978-1-111-31359-8$75.00
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 1020 Welding Symbols and Print Reading
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Bennett SIY Blueprint Reading for Welders. 9th. ISBN: 978-1133605782$148.95
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 1111 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) I
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Chipping Hammer$20.00
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 1112 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) II
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Chipping Hammer$20.00
Wire Brush$10.00
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 1040 Welding Inspection and Welding Metallurgy
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Temp Crayon$15.00
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 1720 Industry Prep
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Chipping Hammer$20.00
Soapstone$0.65
Wire Brush$10.00
Bennett SIY Blueprint Reading for Welders. 9th. ISBN: 978-1133605782$148.95
Subtotal of required materials$0.00
TEWT 2130 Projects
MaterialRequiredNew
See Program Material List$0.00
Bennett SIY Blueprint Reading for Welders. 9th. ISBN: 978-1133605782$148.95
Subtotal of required materials$0.00

This program has no admission requirements. You may start your admissions application at any time.

The OTECH Welding Technology program has rolling start dates throughout the year. If you are interested in enrolling in the program, please review the application deadlines and program start dates below to ensure a smooth application process.

5/18/2026
  • Demonstrate welding safety on a daily basis.
  • Use measurement systems, written instructions, and prints to complete welding projects.
  • Use GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, and SMAW to perform high-quality welds on various metals correctly.
  • Use thermal cutting equipment to perform high-quality cuts on ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
  • Determine the correct welding and/or cutting process to use in specific applications.
Course NumberCourse NameCreditsCost Description
TEWT 1000Introduction to Welding and Cutting2$190This course will serve students as an introduction to the welding industry. General welding shop safety, thermal cutting processes, basic welding terminology, and arc welding basics will be discussed.
TEWT 1010Measurement Systems1$95In this course, students gain an understanding of the concepts and implementation of measurement systems used by welding professionals. US customary units, metric units, and utilization of basic measurement tools are discussed.
TEWT 1311Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) I2$190This course teaches set-up, operation, and practical application of GMAW. Process advantages and limitations are discussed. Students receive hands-on instruction regarding GMAW standard procedures and best practice in accordance with industry standards using short-circuiting and axial spray metal transfer modes.
TEWT 1312Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) II2$190This course expands students’ competency in the practical application of GMAW. Shielding gas composition, selection, and appropriate flow rates are discussed. Students learn appropriate parameter selection as necessary for GMAW proficiency. The pulsed-spray (GMAW-P) metal transfer mode will be introduced.
TEWT 1020Welding Symbols and Print Reading2$190This course teaches students to interpret prints and drawings including welding symbols used in the welding and fabrication industries. Engineering drawings are introduced as the medium by which the engineer, project manager, and/or draftsman communicates instructions to production welding personnel.
TEWT 1411Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) I2$190This course covers set-up, operation, and practical application of FCAW. Process advantages and limitations are discussed. Students receive hands-on instruction regarding FCAW standard procedures and best practices in accordance with current industry standards.
TEWT 1412Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) II2$190This course expands student competency in hands-on uses and practical application of FCAW. Shielding gas composition, selection, and appropriate flow rates are discussed. Students learn appropriate parameter selection for welding procedure requirements as necessary for FCAW proficiency.
TEWT 1111Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) I2$190This course teaches the set-up, operation, and practical uses of Shielded Metal Arc Welding. Process advantages and limitations are discussed. Students receive hands-on instruction regarding SMAW standard procedures and best practices in accordance with current industry standards.
TEWT 1112Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) II2$190This course expands students’ competency in hands-on uses and practical application of SMAW. Students learn to reason through appropriate electrode diameters, classifications, and appropriate current levels necessary to achieve proficiency in SMAW.
TEWT 1040Welding Inspection and Welding Metallurgy1$95The Welding Inspection and Welding Metallurgy course introduces students to welding inspection and basic metallurgy. Students will gain a basic understanding of how metals behave during heating and cooling and the microscopic structure of metals and these effects on the weldability.
TEWT 1520Metal Finishing1$95This course will cover training and techniques in metal finishing principles such as, grinding, sanding, personal protective equipment and safety practices.
TEWT 1211Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) I2$190This course teaches set-up, operation, and practical application of GTAW using ferrous steel. Process advantages and limitations will be discussed. Students receive hands-on instruction regarding GTAW standard procedures and best practice in accordance with current industry standards.
TEWT 1212Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) II2$190This course expands student competency in hands-on uses and practical application of GTAW using non-ferrous metals. Electrode classifications, preparation, and tip geometries are discussed. Students learn appropriate parameter selection for welding procedure requirements as necessary for GTAW proficiency.
TEWT 1060Related Equipment2$190Students are taught how to use various pieces of equipment in the shop. Shears, bandsaws, iron workers, rollers, press brakes.
TEWT 1935Endorsements2$190This course will cover company-specific standards for Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) endorsements.
TEWT 1720Industry Prep1$95This course will cover basic welding terminology to include Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), and Procedure Qualification Record (PQR). This course will explore tools and best practices for a successful job search and interview.
TEWT 2130Projects2$190This course covers production welding skills, fabrication, math, blueprint reading and other essential skills.
Rod McFarland

Prior to joining Ogden-Weber Technical College in 2017, Rod spent 33 years as a steelworker in the heavy industrial manufacturing sector. He had the opportunity to wear many hats in addition to his welding hood and hard hat. Rod served as a senior welder, inspector, and mentor. His work experience includes performing virtually every type of weld, as well as HVAC, electrical work, plumbing, and robotics. He also has extensive experience on both sides of the labor aisle—Rod was a team lead and manufacturing manager over the welding department. Before accepting his current position as welding program coordinator, Rod was a welding instructor, teaching welding, robotics, and machining for three years at Ogden High School.

Location
Manufacturing Tech 104

rodney.mcfarland@otech.edu

801-627-8382