School offers hands-on training for high demand work

By Adrienne AndersonOctober 30, 2013

FORT BENNING, Ga., (Oct. 30, 2013) -- Transitioning Soldiers interested in hands-on career fields such as welding or shipfitting but not sure where to start can look at the Tulsa Welding School as an option for their education and career experience.

The school has five programs: welding, fabricating and shipfitting, HVAC and green technologies, refrigeration and an associate program in welding technologies.

The school, which is a recipient of the 2014 Military-Friendly School award, focuses on helping transitioning Soldiers be successful in the civilian world, said Steven Showalter, military coordinator for the school.

"We know how difficult it is to transition," he said. "We help build a bridge … by providing ongoing and continuous support at the school."

Sixty-five percent of the staff at the Jacksonville, Fla., campus are veterans, and there are many active-duty National Guard and reservists on staff as well.

The school provides housing assistance, part-time assistance, VA assistance, career service assistance and more.

The career programs at the school are in high demand, Showalter said.

Shipfitting for example, he said, is a strong field to enter and Huntington Ingalls, a major shipbuilding company located in Mississippi, will be adding 1,500 jobs in 2015 -- increasing the demand for shipfitters and fabricators. Huntington Ingalls builds non-nuclear and nuclear ships for the Navy and Coast Guard.

Welding is also a high demand job because of the specialized work, he said. The skill is portable, as welders are needed nationwide.

"We work in conjunction with the industry," he said. "That type of link we have with the industry makes sure our students are up to the minute."

Those with field experience in any of the programs offered have the opportunity to test out of those classes, Showalter said.

And the school is an excellent opportunity for those with no experience he said.

"You are going to be the perfect student because you have no bad habits," He said.

The school also helps students obtain part-time jobs while in school, and conducts mock interviews and seminars on how to land a job, Showalter said.

Alumni who need to brush up on a skill before taking a test for a job can also go back to the school, he said. The school will assist current and former students with practicing for their tests, which are needed to demonstrate their proficiency.

The school gives students the physicalY tools they need to succeed, Showalter said. And the students get to keep all the gear.

The school accepts GI Bill and MyCAA programs for eligible veterans, active duty and dependants, he said and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

"Basically the only thing they need to come here with is a pair of blue jeans and boots," he said.

Showalter will be on post Nov. 5 and 6. For more information and to schedule an individual career planning session, contact Showalter at 904-349-2555 or by email at steve.showalter@twsweld.com.