Tech to add welding booths

A $250 thousand grant from the Applachian Regional Commission will add 24 new welding booths and equipment at Tri-County Tech’s Industrial Technology Center at Sandy Springs. That’s going to allow Tech to expand enrollment for a fast-growing technical program. Until the Industrial Technology Center opened, enrollment was limited to the number of welding booths at the Pendleton campus and students weren’t able to take classes that accommodated their varying schedules, said Paul Phelps, welding program coordinator. “There were 34 welding booths at Pendleton, we couldn’t meet industry’s demand for skilled welders. In the new facility, there are 48 booths and this grant gives us the capacity for 72 booths by next semester,” he said. Two new companies—McLaughlin Body Works and SMF—recently located in the area, giving Tech graduates more job placement chances.