This year, as the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology turns 75, it’s good to reflect back on our roots and celebrate our history, not only as a school that has trained thousands of welders, but also as a leading publisher of welding training curriculum materials.

The Hobart Trade School first opened its doors to anyone eager to learn the art of welding back in 1930. In those early days, there was very little available in the way of training materials that incorporated both theory and practical exercises. So, necessity being the mother of invention, we developed our own.

Wilbur Chaffee, one of the first directors of the school, also authored one of the first Hobart texts—Electric Arc Welding: Procedures and Practice. The book included theory and practical exercises, along with a section on special arc welding processes and applications, and went on to explain that the material was being “provided to further the knowledge and training of the operator in advanced and specialized types of arc welding.”

A later version of the textbook, Modern Arc Welding: Procedure and Practice, included the following dedication: “For his active interest in the arc welding process, his deep desire to develop and enlarge its sphere of usefulness, and his personal pride in his own craftsmanship, we respectfully dedicate this book to ‘The Man in the Helmet.’  To him, great credit is due for the acceptance of arc welding by the motor industries.” 

This edition clearly pointed out that welding was indeed expanding as “more and more progressive contracting firms are depending upon faster, lower cost welding for steel construction work,” and for “fabrication of heavy structural steel units,” and for “boilers, tanks, vats, and other containers that are constantly being welded, repaired, strengthened and revamped by arc welding—all because of its proven speed and economy.”

These 500+ page books were accompanied by a somewhat shorter version, Essential Lessons in Arc Welding. A copy of this text was provided to every student who passed through the program, and included such topics as Common Courtesy, Cleanliness and Order, Concentration on Assignments, Avoiding Waste, Safety Precautions, and Daily Procedures.

The Welder’s Vest Pocket Guide soon appeared on the scene. It was a handy quick reference guide and soon became known by people in the trade as The Welders Bible. Over the years, the “Vest Pocket Guide” evolved into the “Pocket Welding Guide.” Today, the Hobart Pocket Welding Guide is in its 27^th Edition, and remains one of our most popular publications.

The late Howard B. Cary continued the publishing tradition. Mr. Cary authored Modern Welding Technology. The text is in its 6^th edition, and remains one of the most comprehensive and accessible texts on the market today. Under his direction, the Hobart Trade School became the Hobart Welding School and later the Hobart School of Welding Technology. New courses were introduced and new curriculum materials were developed to support them.

Today’s modern training materials for welding skill students, used by Hobart Institute and hundreds of vocational schools throughout the country, have roots many years back, when Hobart instructors used handwritten “cheat sheets” as a curriculum.  These sheets were subject to a continuous improvement process and formed the basis for the first workbooks (EW 269 series) championed by Rudy Moler.  As visual education improved, slides and Beseler® filmstrip programs were used.  Some instructors have been around long enough to recall using these programs; some may even be in use today!  These early methods were replaced by training programs utilizing motion picture film.  In 1976, Hobart released a new step-by-step, welding programmed audio visual training program that became known as the PAT system.  It offered a sight and sound version of the popular Hobart School of Welding Technology Workbook and was intended to be used in conjunction with the workbook.  The PAT system originally consisted of the Beseler CUE/SEE projector-tape player and super 8 loop film cartridges.  As technology advanced, filmstrips were replaced by ¾” U-matic videos and later VHS tapes.  The basic format of the curriculum, that proved so successful in those early years, has carried through all these transitions providing students with extensive hands-on training accompanied by one-on-one guidance from their instructors. 

Today, the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology is a leading publisher of state-of-the-art welding training curriculum materials. Our new courseware on DVD is used by hundreds of schools throughout the country to turn out welders that meet the demands of an increasingly complex and competitive business environment.  DVD technology provides instructors with unparalleled opportunities to control the pace of training. You can pause to clarify key concepts; zoom in to focus students on details of the arc and puddle; and slow the action down to a half, a quarter or an eighth of regular speed to allow students to rehearse visually before they go to the booth. Student workbooks follow the DVD topic-for-topic, and are written in simple language with visuals taken directly from the DVD to enhance skill transfer. And comprehensive instructor guides provide all the information that instructors need to ensure successful implementation.

Throughout the years, the Hobart Institute of Welding technology has maintained a commitment to the highest possible quality of welding education, as well as to the development of world-class curriculum materials. A longstanding commitment. A continuing tradition.