AKRON, Ohio — Fred Albrecht has a background in the pipeline industry, has welded for more than 40 years, and is currently a lead welding instructor at Stark State College.
Albrecht said with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, demand for welders continues to surge.
“We have probably about seven, eight companies right now looking for welders and we just can’t supply enough,” Albrecht said.
John Ayers is one of Albrecht’s students at Stark State College — at the Akron branch location, just a short drive from the main campus in North Canton.
Ayers is in the Marine Corps and, as he winds down his contract, he’s had the opportunity to set forth a career path by learning to weld.
“I like working with my hands. I like watching something go from nothing to something. It’s just, it’s a satisfying feeling,” Ayers said. “Right now I have a job at Morgan Engineering, who I reached out to actually be a part of the skill bridge program.
Albrecht is hopeful he will continue to hear more success stories like Ayers in the future.
Stark State College remains proactive, with plans to open a new Welding and Joining Center next year, complete with 13 welding booths, on its main campus after receiving a $93,000 state grant.
“We have the building already and it’s just going to be like this building, like I’ve converted over to a welding lab. So now we can work on getting students from Canton,” Albrecht said.
And his advice to students, no matter their age or background is to give it a chance.
“Don’t be afraid to try it. But it’s so satisfying once you learn how to put a good beam down, once you build a product, especially like even working on a pickup truck, or your lawn mower, it’s so satisfying when you get done and say I did this,” Albrecht said.
