Finger Lakes Community College is bringing welding training directly to workplaces using a portable simulator designed to teach skills safely and quickly.
The college recently recognized six graduates from a beginner welding class held at the Coach and Equipment bus manufacturing plant in Penn Yan.
The class is part of a new strategy to meet growing demand for welders by offering small training programs at locations across the region.
The program uses a Miller AugmentedArc welding simulator that provides hands-on practice through augmented reality. Students wear a welding helmet and use a torch-like tool connected to a computer that simulates real welding conditions.
Instructor Jahaan Williams transports the equipment in two portable cases and can set it up within minutes at different training sites.
Students train on the simulator for about 10 weeks, receiving real-time feedback on technique and positioning. The final two weeks of the 12-week program take place in a real welding shop.
The Penn Yan class was held at Coach and Equipment in Horizon Business Park. The bus manufacturer partnered with FLCC to help train workers interested in welding jobs.
Company officials said the program allows employees to build skills without leaving the workplace. Classes are held twice a week after shift changes.
The training program has already produced several groups of graduates.
Five adults completed a class in Newark in December, and four received job offers within a week. Six Victor High School students completed another class in January, earning high school elective credit while learning welding skills.
Another adult class is currently underway at the FLCC main campus in Canandaigua.
Welders typically earn between $24 and $31 per hour in New York, according to the state Department of Labor.
FLCC plans to continue day and evening welding classes in Newark and Canandaigua through 2026 and 2027.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].