It has been said, “the best things in life are free.” This does not typically apply to professional credentials, but it does in the Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) welding program.

Welder certification is free to all welding students while they are enrolled in welding courses during the 2016-17 school year. In the welding industry, welders performing code-quality work are required to pass a skill test to prove he or she has the skill to make a sound weld. Welder qualification tests are typically part of the interview process at many companies hiring welders.

The tests are administered in various positions, welding processes, joints and shapes of material. SVCC offers students the opportunity to take both plate and pipe tests while enrolled in welding courses at SVCC. SVCC Professor of Welding David Braun is an American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). CWIs inspect welds and certify welders through welder qualification tests.

Cost can be a barrier for many students in attempting to earn the credential during training, which is why SVCC has removed that barrier. Welder qualification tests typically cost between $150 and $450 elsewhere. Some students enrolled in the SVCC welding program have passed as many as 12 tests saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

For more information about welding at SVCC, visit www.southside.edu The college offers welding at the John H. Daniel Campus in Keysville, Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center in South Hill, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston and Southside Virginia Education Center in Emporia.