U.S.’s Largest Welding School Has Career-Focused Approach
At Tulsa Welding School’s Houston campus, the culture of graduation starts on a student’s first day, when they get their picture taken in a cap and gown. This tradition helps students envision graduating and going on to successful welding careers. Plenty of support for students — in addition to experienced instructors and career-focused lab work — has helped TWS become the country’s largest welding program. With 316 welding booths and classes running from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., the Houston campus is booming. See how welding equipment and filler metals from Miller, Hobart and Bernard help TWS students get the training they need.
To learn more about the Miller® Dynasty® 300 DX multiprocess welder, visit
https://www.millerwelds.com/equipment/welders/multiprocess/dynasty-300-multiprocess-welder-m90595
To learn more about the Miller® XMT® 450 multiprocess welder, visit
https://www.millerwelds.com/equipment/welders/multiprocess/xmt-450-multiprocess-welder-m00430#!/?product-options-title=xmt-450-cc-cv-230-460-v-907481
Video Transcript
Tulsa Welding School was started in 1949 with its flagship campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which has been around the longest. The school later introduced campuses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Houston, Texas. The Houston campus has around 1,100 students. The school is considered the largest welding school in the nation, which an instructor believes is due to the passion of the instructors, many of whom are graduates of the school.
The recipe for success at the school is dedicating a lot of time to welding. The instructors are highly experienced, with some having worked in the field for 30 years. When students come in, the goal is for them to feel welcome, as the school operates like a family and aims to help students change their lives and become successful. The school also has a career services department to assist students with finding jobs. One student expressed that career services are extremely helpful because he wouldn’t know where to start looking for a job on his own. Another student mentioned falling in love with the school after a walkthrough and appreciates the flexibility of the hours, as he works nights.
The instructors take the time to show students how to do things correctly and will “bend over backwards” for them. They ensure that every student who needs help gets one-on-one time. The school has 316 welding booths and classes from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.. The curriculum is very hands-on, with students spending one day in the classroom and the rest of the time in the lab. Students spend most of their time in the lab.
The school uses Miller 280 DX, Miller XMT 450, and Miller Dynasty machines. The Dynasty machines are fast, simple, and can be operated by pushing a button. The machines are welder-friendly, and students can quickly learn how to use them. The school also uses Hobart 610 for stick rods and Hobart 7018 for filler metal. In addition, they use Bernard SentryFeeder contact tips and Bernard guns, which are great and lightweight, allowing welders to work all day without their arms getting tired. The school cannot afford to have a machine go down, so they rely on dependable products. One instructor finds it awesome to see students progress so much in just seven months.