by Andre' Odermatt 

Not even a year has passed since I became part of the team at the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology and I have already received many letters from students who have graduated from HIWT sharing with me their learning experience. In a recent e-mail a former student writes:

“It is humbling when an instructor can stand by you, grab your hands, and weld better than you can on your own.”

This made me think about the time, back in the dark ages, when I learned how to write. My teacher took my hand and made those very difficult movements to show me how to write properly.  It was a humbling experience!

Every company has a core competency, something it does very well, the basis of competition, and the one factor that differentiates one company from another.  It did not take me very long to discover, that the core competency of HIWT is the knowledge and ability that resides with the instructors, the proprietary training material and the unique way to communicate and teach this knowledge and ability to a wide range of students, those who are apprehensive at first and others who welded before but want to become a HIWT graduate to have the potential to earn top dollars.  Successful welding instructors not only possess the technical knowledge and skill but they also need to be able to coach the young men and woman and help them with patience and a calm demeanor, even during “bad” days!  They must be able to make the students feel comfortable so they are more receptive in the learning environment. 

Another student recently commented:  “I am definitely happy with the training I have received at Hobart.  It has increased my knowledge and my confidence.  I know that I will now feel comfortable going into any job situation.” 

Not only do HIWT instructors understand the curricula very well, they are also highly flexible and adaptable.  Thousands of welders have been trained in special applications, tailored to specific customer wishes at the Institute or at the customers’ place of business.

Both the skill and the technical instructors at the Hobart Institute share a level of expertise that is evident in the mail we receive on a daily basis.  Here is another example:  “I would like to thank all of the magnificent instructors in the technical department for their outstanding performance while I took the CWI/CWE Prep. Course.  Their dedication and professionalism enabled me to achieve my Certification as a Welding Inspector and Educator!”                                           

Our instructors are the core competency of our institute and the reason for our existence.  Therefore, we select this staff with utmost care.  A young instructor who has been with the Institute only a few years has similar personal traits and uses the same teaching methodology as a veteran instructor.  Consistency and cross-training are very important aspects of the learning curve for new instructors at Hobart, so that each instructor is capable in any given welding training situation.  It has become a way of life throughout the years for the staff, but the appreciation for this superb team of instructors is echoed by most anyone who has had the opportunity to experience and be the product of the teaching ability of these talented people.  Working with them has definitely been a humbling experience!