Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield is offering a free aluminum welding training program to the Maine public, funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation. This course will run from Friday, Oct. 23, to Saturday, Dec. 12, on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course currently has 11 available spots, according to a news release from the college.

The training will teach interested students the art of aluminum welding, including an introduction to the craft, safety expectations, and development of an understanding of metals and hands-on welding techniques.

KVCC’s free Aluminum Welding Training will be held in the college’s newly constructed, state-of-the-art welding lab on the Fairfield campus. The new and improved welding lab offers expanded training capacity, ADA accessible booths, an improved ventilation system, and additional amenities to provide the highest quality welding education to Maine’s students.

KVCC is committed to providing affordable higher education to Maine students by providing opportunities for professional development and training. By offering free welding classes, KVCC reduces the financial barrier of entry to this in-demand field and enables students to begin or advance their career without fear of putting themselves into lifelong debt. So far, KVCC has trained 14 students, some of which have been hired by local aluminum welding shops.

“Adding aluminum welding to the line up of welding courses at KVCC has allowed us to serve three large employers in the community, F3, Alcom and Nitro Trailer,” said Brian Jonah, KVCC’s Welding Department Chairman, according to the release. “These companies are growing and have a high demand for skilled aluminum welders.”

Interested prospective students can contact Melissa Mitchell at 207-453-5083 or mmitchell@kvcc.me.edu for more information or to register. To learn more about the welding training program, prospective students can visit kvcc.me.edu. Students can also apply for the program at hkvcc.qualtrics.com.

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