Build Your Welding Skills – One Course at a Time

The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) with a focus on welding carbon steel. Students will gain a thorough technical understanding of GTAW arc characteristics, welding safety, and the metallurgy of carbon steel. The course emphasizes the importance of proper machine setup and adjusting machine settings to optimize welding performance. Through hands-on practice, students will develop the skills needed to deposit high-quality welds on 11-gauge and 16-gauge mild steel.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course provides intensive training in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) for carbon steel pipe, focusing on producing high-quality groove welds with complete penetration. Students will develop the skills necessary to perform multi-pass groove welds in all positions on 2” diameter schedule 80 carbon steel pipe.

In addition to hands-on training, students will cover essential topics such as proper joint preparation, welding techniques, electrode selection, and welding procedure specifications. Approximately 85% of the course is dedicated to hands-on training, while the remaining 15% focuses on classroom instruction.

Pathway program students enrolled in the Pipefitter Career Pathways will have the opportunity to complete a welder qualification test on a 2” schedule 80 carbon steel pipe in the 6G position, in accordance with AWS Standard D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Carbon Steel course.

The course focuses on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) with an emphasis on welding thin-gauge stainless steel. Designed for students with prior knowledge of the GTAW process, the course provides in-depth training on welding techniques specific to stainless steel, including its unique metallurgy and welding characteristics. Students will refine their skills in producing high-quality fillet and groove welds on thin gauge stainless steel ranging in thickness from .045” to .062” in the flat and horizontal positions. The course also emphasizes the importance of precise machine setup and adjustment to optimize welding performance.

Program students will have the opportunity to complete a welder qualification test on a .062” stainless steel butt joint in the 1G position in accordance with AWS D17.1 Class A standards.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Carbon Steel course.

The course focuses on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) with an emphasis on welding aluminum. Designed for students with prior knowledge of the GTAW process, the course provides in-depth training on welding techniques specific to aluminum, including its unique metallurgy and weld characteristics. Students will refine their skills in producing high-quality fillet and groove welds on aluminum plate ranging from .125” to .250” in thickness in the flat, horizontal, and vertical positions. The course also emphasizes the importance of precise machine setup and adjustment to optimize welding performance in aluminum fabrication and production welding.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Carbon Steel course.

The course focuses on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) with an emphasis on aerospace welding applications. Designed for students with prior knowledge of the GTAW process, the course provides in-depth training on welding techniques specific to thin-gauge stainless steel sheet and tubing, including its unique metallurgy and weld characteristics. Students will refine their skills in producing high-quality fillet and groove welds on stainless steel sheet as thin as .030” and tubing as thin as .049” in the flat, horizontal, vertical, and 45° fixed positions. The course also emphasizes precise machine setup, back purging techniques, and the use of specialized torch components to optimize welding performance for aerospace applications. Pathways Program students in the TIG Welder Career Pathway will have the opportunity to complete a welder qualification test on a .030” stainless steel butt joint in the 2G position in accordance with AWS D17.1 Class A standards.

Prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Carbon Steel course and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Stainless Steel course.

The course focuses on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) of stainless-steel pipe, with an emphasis on sanitary, food processing, refinery, and power generation applications. Designed for students with prior experience in GTAW, the course provides in-depth training on welding techniques specific to stainless steel pipe, including joint preparation, weldability considerations, and the use of purge gas systems. Students will refine their skills by producing high-quality single V-groove welds on 2” diameter schedule 80 stainless steel pipe and square groove welds on schedule 10 stainless steel pipe, both in the 6G fixed position. The course also includes instruction and practice in welding dissimilar metals (stainless steel to carbon steel) and introduces various methods for applying root passes using the GTAW process. Emphasis is placed on precision, purge control, and consistency in meeting the weld quality standards required in sanitary piping systems and other high-spec environments. Upon completion, students will have developed the skills necessary for entry-level pipe welding positions in industries where stainless-steel piping is used.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 2” Pipe course.

The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) using short-circuit transfer. The course emphasizes the importance of machine setup and adjusting machine settings to optimize welding performance.

Students will learn to fine-tune equipment, select appropriate metal transfer modes, and choose suitable shielding gases for various welding scenarios. The curriculum covers essential welding safety practices, equipment operation, and troubleshooting techniques.

Students will develop hands-on skills to produce quality multiple-pass fillet and groove welds on mild steel plates ranging in thickness from 16-gauge to 3/16” in all positions.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course.

The course focuses on spray and pulsed-spray transfer, utilizing both solid and metal-cored electrodes for carbon steel. Students will develop the necessary skills to deposit high-quality, multi-pass welds in all positions using pulsed-spray transfer. The training will focus on equipment setup, process adjustments, and troubleshooting to ensure optimal performance. Program students will have the opportunity to complete a welder qualification test on a single V-groove butt joint with backing in the 2G position, following AWS D1.1 standards.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Metal Arc Welding Basic course.

The course provides students with advanced hands-on training in structural welding techniques used in manufacturing and heavy fabrication. Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency with the pulsed spray transfer mode of the GMAW process, with supplemental use of short circuit transfer where applicable.

This course focuses on thicker materials, with students welding on 1-inch and 1/2-inch mild steel plate—representative of real-world industrial requirements. Students will practice welding complex joint configurations, including a single bevel groove weld, a combination weld on a tee joint (featuring a single bevel and double fillet), and an open root single V-groove weld. These exercises are designed to enhance the student’s ability to produce structurally sound, high-quality welds on thicker sections of steel.

Program students will also have the opportunity to complete a welder qualification test on a single V-groove open root butt joint in the 3G position using pulsed spray transfer, in accordance with AWS Standard B2.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Metal Arc Welding Advanced course.

This advanced wire-feed welding course provides students with specialized hands-on training in aluminum and stainless-steel applications using both Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). The majority of training emphasizes aluminum fabrication, with students developing proficiency in pulsed spray transfer and spray transfer modes of the GMAW process. Instruction includes equipment setup, operation, and shutdown procedures, as well as a focused study of aluminum alloy weldability.

Students will progress through increasingly complex joint configurations on aluminum, including fillet welds in horizontal and vertical positions and single V-groove welds in vertical and overhead positions. Welding performance will be evaluated through visual inspection to ensure soundness and adherence to quality standards. In addition, students will complete a blueprint reading and assembly exercise with aluminum, assessed on both visual inspection and workmanship criteria.

To broaden process versatility, students will also complete an introduction to FCAW on stainless steel, producing multi-pass fillet welds in multiple positions. This course is designed to strengthen adaptability with multiple wire-feed welding processes, ensuring graduates are prepared to meet the diverse requirements of modern fabrication environments that utilize both aluminum and stainless-steel materials.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Gas Metal Arc Welding Advanced course.

The course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) using gas-shielded flux-cored electrodes. Emphasis is placed on proper machine setup, electrode selection, and welding techniques to produce quality welds. The curriculum includes welding safety practices, equipment operation, and troubleshooting methods. Students will develop hands-on skills to produce groove welds on carbon steel plates ranging from 3/8” to 1” in thickness using .045” diameter dual shield flux-cored electrodes in all positions.

Program students will have the opportunity to complete welder qualification tests on one-inch carbon steel plates in vertical and overhead positions, in accordance with AWS Standard D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course.

The course provides students with hands-on training in welding techniques commonly used in manufacturing and heavy fabrication. Emphasis is placed on performing high-quality welds using a variety of electrodes, including metal-cored, gas-shielded flux-cored, and self-shielded flux-cored electrodes.

The curriculum covers common joint configurations, including tee joints, single V-groove butt joints, and double V-groove butt joints, as well as back gouging procedures. Students will develop advanced welding skills to produce quality welds on mild steel, with thicknesses ranging from 1/4 inch to 1 inch, through hands-on practice.

Students will complete a blueprint-based fabrication project that requires interpreting a drawing to assemble. In addition, they will work on a job practice consisting of a flat plate with a halved pipe on either side—one side welded with metal-cored wire, the other with gas-shielded flux-cored wire. Both activities are designed to build proficiency in making large fillet welds, welding out of position, and working around corners and along curved surfaces.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Flux Cored Arc Welding Basic course.

The course is important for the development of knowledge required by industry for employment of welders. Upon completion of the course, the student should have knowledge of all common arc welding processes including industrial applications, arc characteristics, and advantages. The student should have the ability to read symbols and basic blueprints as they apply to welding.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course.

The course introduces students to gas welding and cutting utilizing Oxygen and Acetylene gases. Students will spend time in the classroom developing a sound understanding of welding safety and the potential hazards associated with oxyfuel welding and cutting.

In addition to safety, they will learn about the fundamentals of cutting and welding, along with practical applications and equipment setup. Approximately 80% of this course is hands-on developing the skill necessary to make quality cuts, deposit fillet and groove welds on carbon steel.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course.

The course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and hands-on practices of pipe layout and fabrication. Designed for individuals beginning their careers in pipefitting, the course balances theoretical instruction with practical application to develop core competencies in reading piping drawings, calculating pipe lengths, and fabricating common pipe connections. Students will explore the pipefitter’s role within industrial piping systems while building proficiency in math, blueprint interpretation, and the use of industry-standard layout tools and charts. Emphasis is placed on safety procedures, proper fitting techniques, and troubleshooting skills required in real-world job settings.

Through project-based learning, students will complete a capstone hands-on project, with each topic building sequentially toward its successful execution. In addition to reinforcing theoretical knowledge through sample problems and practical exercises, the course equips students with a lasting reference resource to support future professional development. By course end, students will demonstrate the ability to interpret piping drawings, accurately calculate and lay out pipe runs, and safely fabricate assembled piping systems using industry practices and tools.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Welding Technology & Blueprint Reading, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding 2” Pipe, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding 2” 6G Uphill or Shielded Metal Arc Welding 6″ Pipe Downhill courses.

The course builds upon foundational pipe layout skills, advancing students’ knowledge and proficiency in the accurate fabrication of complex pipe systems. Designed for individuals with prior experience or training in pipefitting, the course emphasizes the use of advanced mathematics, layout equations, and industry-standard charts to perform precise measurements and fabricate intricate pipe connections. Students will develop a deeper understanding of piping components, including valves and threaded connections, while learning to overcome challenges presented by obstructions and complex routing requirements.

Through a combination of theoretical instruction and project-based hands-on training, students will explore advanced layout techniques such as parallel offsets and compound angles, while refining their problem-solving skills in realistic fabrication scenarios. The course prioritizes both accuracy and efficiency in layout execution, encouraging students to apply classroom knowledge directly in the lab environment.

By course end, students will demonstrate the ability to accurately interpret and fabricate advanced pipe layouts, apply mathematical and industry tools for precise measurement and cutting, and integrate complex pipe runs into simulated piping systems while maintaining structural integrity and flow functionality.

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Pipe Layout for Pipefitters & Welders I course.

This course introduces students to the foundational principles and practical applications of metal fabrication. Designed for students beginning their journey into fabrication, the course emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skill development. Students will explore the full fabrication process—from material selection and layout to cutting, drilling, and welding—while also developing core competencies in shop math and trigonometry as they relate to fabrication tasks. The course integrates safety instruction and tool usage alongside the fabrication of two instructor-assigned projects based on shop drawings. These projects allow students to apply what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios, including the construction of a rectangular frame and a pump skid frame. By course end, students will demonstrate their ability to safely and accurately fabricate metal structures using a range of layout, cutting, and welding processes.

Prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed the HIWT Welding Technology & Blueprint Reading course, Gas Metal Arc Welding Basic course, and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Carbon Steel course.