Welding Technology - Which college?

By Lotney Date 06-12-2001 01:34

Hello,
I am a 2000 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. I highly recommend checking their website; www.pct.edu. They offer bachelor, associate and certificate welding degrees. I went in knowing nothing of welding and came out with all the knowledge wanted to "name my own price".
P.S. I am not being paid in any way to say these things abovesaid.
Joe

By RPerry Date 06-12-2001 14:16

Joe,

Thanks for the reply. I'll check into the college that you mentioned, but I would prefer to stay in Canada if at all possible. The education and relocation costs of attending an American college would be prohibitively expensive for me with the current exchange rate.

Thanks,

Richard Perry

By Josh Hyde Date 06-14-2001 22:59

Hello Richard,

My name is Josh Hyde and I am a graduate of Conestoga. I took the three-year technology program and am currently working for a MIG welding equipment manufacturer (Tregaskiss - ToughGun). Other graduates work for companies such as ESAB, Liburdi Engineering (Aerospace engineering firm - Hamilton), Air LIquide (Distributor), Canadian Welding Bureau, Guelph Tool and Die.
I also work under a MechEng PhD grad from Waterloo who specialized in welding.
I have spoken with graduates from the Technology program at Northern and it is very hard to differentiate between the two. The most common thing that I have run across is that Northern is way out there! Conestoga is nicely situated in Guelph, so that is good for anyone in the golden triangle.
The program at Conestoga is very new (only 3 years), but going strong. This years graduating class had over 20 students, whereas my class (last year) had seven and the first year had something like 5. The faculty at Conestoga are very experienced and organized.
Technically, the two colleges differ a bit. Northern has a focus on metallurgy and mining. While we did cover those topics extensively, we focused on the automotive and structural steel sectors (more common in southern Ont). Because of the automotive focus, we worked a lot with automation design and failure analysis.
Because of the way it's set up at Conestoga, you have a couple options on how to do the program as well. You can start and go through as a technologist, or you can start as a welder-fitter, and work your way through from there. I wish that I had done things this way, simply for the extensive 'hands-on' experience they get. From there you can take the second year and attain the technician level, and finally go to the third year (if you aren't sick of welding by then!).
I am very open to discussing these things with you and I can probably provide some good contacts if you need them.
One thing that I want to know is why you would switch? The only reason I haven't gone yet is money! That is a very respectable program and a great city to go to schoool in.

Anywho, I hope to hear from you if you have any further questions.

Josh Hyde

By RPerry Date 06-14-2001 23:32

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the reply. To tell you the truth, I'm wanting a little more of a hands-on learning experience. The Mechanical Engineering program at UW just doesn't do it for me. It's a great school, but I find now that there seems to be more emphasis being placed on the Electrical/Computer Engineering programs. They get all of the new money and the MechEng program is being put on the backburner, so to speak. It's almost like UW is riding on its reputation now. For example, the co-op system is pretty antiquated now - using telnet for job descriptions, cramped interview rooms (actually offices of the co-op coordinators who must vacate them every time the co-op process comes along), stuff like that. I was looking to take the Welding Specialization at UW, but when you looked at the specifics, it is just that - a specialization. Compare that to an actual Welding Engineering degree from OSU or something similar. There just wasn't enough welding content for me. But I digress.

From what I've heard, Conestoga offers more hands-on training with the various welding processes then Northern College does. I'm still not sure which I'll end up with, but a Northern student in the Welding Technology program told me that by taking the program at Northern, you have an easier time continuing your welding education at an American university (say Ohio State University for example) then someone who went to Conestoga. I don't know if this is true or not, just something I'll throw out there for some opinions. I would like to keep my options as open as possible though.

Conestoga was the first college that offered Welding Technology that I looked into. It was the catalyst for me to make up my mind to switch programs. I liked the thought of being able to have a great deal of hands-on welding time mixed in with the theory. I might look into the welder-fitter path that you mentioned though. Thanks for the idea!

The only thing that I see as a detriment to going to Conestoga is that they don't offer a co-op program. Coming from UW, I see co-op as an excellent tool in figuring out where you want to go in industry. It allows you to try out different sectors and see what they are like without the commitment of a 'real' job. Did you take any welding-related jobs in the summers that you were off (sort of a DIY version of co-op)?

I'm also kind of looking for a change in scenery - I've been in Waterloo now for almost three years (not including the cities where I had my co-ops in). It's not that big of an issue though.

If you don't mind me asking, what were your total approximate costs per term at Conestoga? I'm trying to make a budget plan, and don't know what the material costs would be. What are the facilities like at Conestoga? Are the welding machines relatively new or are they old and weary? What are the living accomodations like (if any)? I recently took a drive by the Guelph Campus and it looks like the best spot for finding someplace to rent would be in the subdivision immediately behind the campus.

What was the name of the MechEng PhD grad? It wasn't by chance Michael Deutsch was it? I worked with him on the 1999 Midnight Sun solar car team - that was fun.

Thanks again for the info. Any other information that you think would help me make up my mind would be appreciated.

Richard Perry

By Josh Hyde Date 06-15-2001 13:49

Richard,
I have heard the same thing about the hands-on benifits of Conestoga, and I agree that we did spend a lot of time in the shop. Every semester you have at least 3 hours per week in the welding shop, and most semesters you will have a a lab class (automation, metallurgy, etc.).
I would have really liked a co-op as well. Because the program is only 3 years old, the industry isn't seeking for technologists. They are aware of the technician program (which has been at Conestoga for at least 20yrs), but because the third year is so new, companies a wary to start a co-op program. Conestoga and their program advisory commitee was, and probably still is, looking into getting a co-op system in place. You may want to double check that they haven't done something for next fall.
As far as getting into OSU or another US school after you finish; you shouldn't have any problems getting recognition for what you have. The administration is well aware of the technician program and is evaluating the curriculum of the third year. A couple of us have investigated the possibility, and it looks like you would have to spend about 2 years down there. OSU is probably the best, but it is also the most expensive (30K CDN/yr after tuition and eating at least 3 days a week!). Check out Ferris State in Big Rapids, MI. I've heard that it has a great program, with a lot more hands-on learning than OSU. OSU has EWI though. The Edison Welding Institute is a highly touted research facility that is tied in very closely with OSU. Apparently, EWI has an amazing facility that you will have use of while attending OSU.
The cost of attending Conestoga was peanuts; I came out of it not owing a penny for school. Count on about $2500 per year for both books and tuition. Because Guelph has such a large university population, housing is a little steep (but I guess you would be used to that, living in Waterloo). If you have a car, you can live anywhere in town. I lived just south of town in Aberfoyle, and it took me no more than 15 minutes to get there. I worked as a CNC laser profile cutting operator for the first two years and then quit to focus on school for the final year.
The facilities at Conestoga are alright. You will usually have a couple classes in the Engineering building in Kitchener, which is first rate. The Guelph campus is mainly a technical school, and the welding technology and industrial programs are the only diploma programs at this campus. Through the day there may only be 150 people in the building. The welding machines and tools are current and well maintained. I would say they have excellent facilities.
The grad that I work with is Julio Villafuerte MASc.,PhD.,PEng. He is the director of R&D/Engineering here.
I hope that some of this helps, good luck

Josh

By RPerry Date 06-15-2001 14:41

Hi Josh,

Thanks again for the info. Some more stuff to churn over in my head...

Wow! Only $2500 for the entire year. I paid about $3500 or so for books and tuition per TERM at UW. It helps that Engineering is unregulated too.

Thanks,

Richard Perry

By waltersr Date 01-23-2002 15:34

Hello,

I am currently a student in my thrid year at Nothern Colleges Welding Engineering Technology Co-op Program. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to get a high quality welding eduacation. The program focus a various concrete pricples related to welding. The two program in Ontario are very very differnet. Ours is program that focus on therotical side of welding, as well the student gets a chance to studie the major welding processes in 3 hours of lab time per week.
The graduates form Nothern have a greater undertstanding of why things happend as being able to apply there knowlegde
The student also has a chance to apply the education in the hands on with there co-op positions. Personally I my first position was at Bombardier Transpertation, in Thunder Bay, MDS Nordion in Kanata, ON and I just finshed my thrid at Formet Industries (Magna International) in St.Thomas ON.
I have developed welding procedures, qualified welders. performed non-destructive testing, reviewed enginerring drawing, applied the different codes W47.1, W59 also I had a chance to get my welding tickects in SMAW steel,GMAW steel & aluminum.

All you have to do is simply compare the coures and there discriptions and I am possitive you will make the right choice . I trying not to say one is better than the other, but the two different programs are very much DIFFERENT.

Here is the wedsite

http://cs.northernc.on.ca/welding/

By jhayes Date 02-19-2002 13:23

hey richard, don't know if you've decided on which school you're going to yet, but if i can offer some advice, don't rely too much on other peoples opinions. i am a recent grad from conestogas course (graduated with josh. hell of a guy), and one thing i've noticed since i entered the industry is that there is a lot of bias. trust your own judgement and check out the facts.