Welders Without Borders / Soldadores Sin Fronteras

 

 

Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology

Arizona Western College

www.azwestern.edu  

Yuma Arizona Celebrating

40 years in welding education. 

 

1967-1968 school year Arizona Western College began offering an associates of applied science degree in welding technology.  Plans are underway to mark this mile stone and pay tribute to the people who have made this one of the best and longest lasting programs of study in the world.  Arizona Western College as partner in education with Welders Without Borders has sponsored educational programs for students on its main campus in Yuma, Arizona. 

To phone the college call area code 928-317-6000 Web page: www.azwestern.edu

Arizona Western College is the home of the Matadors.   Go Western. GO MATADORS!!!

For general information regarding educational opportunities for all students including international students at AWC contact the office of Coordinator of International Programs or the Registrar listed below:

ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE

2020 South Avenue 8E

Mail to:  PO Box 929

Yuma, AZ   85366-0929

Phone:  (928) 317-6000

Summer 2011

 

It’s the end of the summer and I can tell you that it was one of the best.  This year the Arizona Western College SkillsUSA student s did amazing things.  Our group of fabrication specialist won the state welding fabrication contest for college post secondary, our extemporaneous speaking student won state and our prepared speech student won state.  This means we earned a trip to the national SkillsUSA event in Kansas City.  There the student's worked hard to do their best and in the end place top five for welding fab and placed well in the speaking contest.  Yes, welding student's who can weld communicate and fabricate. 

 

Soon after returning home from the SkillsUSA event it was time to return to Peru South American and also Bolivia to participate in numerous visits to excellent welding programs to meet teachers, students and industry specialist as part of this year’s Welders Without Borders education tour sponsored by the Soldexa company.  This is a top rated welding company and an excellent promoter of welding education in the region.  Their CEO Jorge Merzthal is a driving force in welding technology and education and I must say one of the most dedicated AWS members you will ever meet.   Our two weeks were full and it was difficult to say good bye at each stop along the way.  Mrs. Colton and I hope we can return soon.  There is not a day that goes by that my thoughts are not with the people we have the good fortune to meet. 

Spring 2011

The New Year finds our students working hard to coplete degrees and certifications while also participating in the AWC AWS/SkillsUSA Student Chapter activities.  I am looking forward to our participation at the Region I SkillsUSA contest.  Our students have sponsored the event for more than 20 years.  Our student chapter will also support the Earth Day activites by making special recognition awards from recycled materials.  Our annual "Take Up the Torch" program will be in late March and plans are being made for another WWB education tour in South America working with the Soldexsa Corporation.   I will be speaking at an energy confernece in New York state in March sharing information about how important partnerships with industry and other institutions is in promoting our industry and its role in the "green" renewable movement.   

Additionally Professor Colton is working as an adjunct faculty member at the Imperial Valley College where the ideals of WWB are finding a receptive student body eager to learn the important role they play in the global equation.  More later. 

Fall 2009 - Fall 2010

 2010 found the faculty and students working hard to prepare for the SkillsUSA Region I competitions, Arizona State Competition.  During this time frame the Arizona Western College AWS Student Chapter worked with the SkillsUSA Student Chapter to promote welding in our community through a number of actions.  Sponsorship of the Region I welding contest which included the first in Arizona Welding Fabrication Team contest.  This was held during the Welders Without Borders sanctioned program "Green Welding: The Future is Now" held in the spring semester as reported in the AWS welding journal District 21 report.  This was all held on the main campus at Arizona Western College in Yuma Arizona.  The faculty and students again worked in partnership with WestAir Gases of Yuma to host the annual "Take Up the Torch" annual cutting contest and pot luck social held at the WestAir Gases Yuma store.  Our students won gold medals in the SkillsUSA Arizona State Championships for Welding Fabrication and Prepared Speech.  The students advanced to the nationals in Kansas City and experienced this national event with support from Arizona Western College.   We will have a full summer 2010 with a number of welding classes as we ramp into the fall AWC Institute Training schedule.  Professor Colton will travel to Atlanta as part of the AWS World Skills Competition Committee as an educator with support from AWC.  This will be his last year on this committee and he feels honored to be allowed to have had this experience and learn from the many weld experts on the committee.  Good luck to this year’s SkillsUSA welding competitors and good welding to us all.

Summer 2009

This summer wil find the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology operating year round with a variety of welding and math for welders courses.  Professor Colton will also travel to Kansas City for AWS Competition Committee service and contest held during the SkillsUSA national competition.  Later in July Professor Colton is scheduled to participate in Washington D.C. at a forum to develop a "green" training module for welding students. He will also host a special work shop at the request of the Arizona Department of Education during the AzCTE Summer Conference in Tucson Arizona for a hands on AWS SENSE learning program.  With support from the Miller Electric Company district manager, the Hobart area manager and Phoenix Welding Supply this seminar should allow participants to gain a better understanding of the skill sets needed to successfully complete the SENSE Level I requirements.  I will update my summer later and hope all the "Welders Without Borders" are doing good things where they can, when they can.

Spring 2009

This spring found our students and faculty working hard to complete graduation requirements for A.A.S degrees in welding technology.  Our AWS Student Chapter was active hosting the annual "Take Up the Torch" welcome back welding students social at WestAir  Gases of Yuma and they worked to hold several activities reported in the welding journal.  The students demonstrated blacksmithing at the local medival fair and also worked an information booth at the Yuma County Fair distributing AWS information.  The students also went on a field trip the San Diego California to visit the ship yard there, an aero-space fabricator and WestAir Gases of San Diego fill plant.  They ended the trip at the San Diego Sea World park.

 Professor Colton was invited as a sponsored speaker at the AWS District 18 Rio Grande Sections "Gold Collar Career Day" hosted at the South Texas Colllege McAllen campus.  Special thanks to Mr. George Baldree welding engineer and fellow welder without borders in nearby Brownsville for providing the materials support to make this travel possible. As a "Welder Without Borders" Professor Colton has been happy to support welding eductors programs anytime, anywhere.

Fall 2008

The AWS Welding Show in Lav Vegas was an opportunity to provide service to the AWS Skills Competiton Committee.  It was great to see the young people compete who have done so much practice to earn a place at this event.  Also this fall my students organized themselves into a student chapter of the American Welding Society.  We are looking forward to the many positive aspects this will add to our program. 

Summer 2008

Its been a summer to remember.  Things got off to a fast start with a "Some Like It Hot" in Yuma Arizona summer basic SMAW course with a great group of learners.  After that we were off to a series of road trips.  First was the SkillsUSA national skills competition with some of the best students from our college.  We had a great competition in several speach contest and automotive collision repair.  Its always great to be at this event (four years in a row) with these students.  Back home it was off to San Diego to observe for a second year in a row the great instructor training program by the Ironworkders Union.  I am proud to be able to participate and even prouder to know some of my students are members of locals in several states adding to the legacy of these American Ironworkers and to have had a part in these young men's careers.  After San Dieog it was off to Tucson Arizona to present a workshop on AWS SENSE standards in education.  This program was for secondary and post secondary attendees. 

After Tucson I traded in my bags for a fresh set and headed to the airport for a flight to Ketchikan Alaska and the famous island where the "bridge to somewhere" never got built.  But let me tell you there is a dedicted group of welding professionals there at Alaska Shipping and Dry Dock.  I had the opportunity to travel there to watch some students I had training earlier in the year at work on an E class U.S. Navy ship.  Its a unique design that is very demanding.  It was good to see these welders from our college turning what they had learned into a pay check.  This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (believe me I have been to a few).  After my trip to Alaska I traveled to Gainsville Florida to attend the NCCER master trainer program ( www.nccer.org ).  We are heavily vested in this standardized training program.   This is how my summer went.  Travel for welding, travel to welding, travel because some of us love this industry in all its variety.  Yep, I am one lucky welder.  No borders means having the skills, experience and education to go where others of like minds are working together to get what the rest of the world needs doing. 

I am back at our community college in Yuma Arizona working with some of the greatest young people in the world.  Young people who are dedicated to the art and science of welding technology.  All of us have to make a living but its how you make it that makes the difference. 

Summer 2007

Professor Colton will co present at the 29th annual NISOD(www.nisod.org)  conference in Austin Texas May 21st with Bertha Avila Tech Prep Director and Carmen Faucon Career Development Director of Arizona Western College(www.azwestern.edu) in Yuma Arizona.  They will share the activities and partnerships that helped to create the "Build the Dream" career technical symposium held last October at the AWC campus in Yuma Arizona as part of the 2006 "Welders Without Borders" bi-annual event. 

Also this summer Professor Colton will participate with other educators to meet and work with members of the Miller Electric Company's (http://millerwelds.com) education advisory board in Appleton Wisconsin during the month of June.

 Professor Colton is very happy to also be able to travel to the SkillsUSA National Conference(www.skillsusa.org)  in Kansas City with two of his students to compete at this prestigious event. 

 Following this program Professor Colton has plans to return to his home in Arizona and resume his work with students at the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology and to make plans for its 40th year in welding education. 

Professor Colton invites welders to write him and share their stories of the road and how they are working to change lives and help build the future of our industry.  Doing our part to make the world a better place one welder at a time.

Fall 2006

"Welders Without Borders" 2006 Friday October 20th was hosted at the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology in Yuma Arizona,  Professor Samuel Colton program coordinator supported by the AWC SkillsUSA student organization a.k.a AWC VICA and other volunteers.  Program theme "Build The Dream" the making of the Harley-Davidson V-Rod.  Mr. Jeff Majors H-D Welding Staff Engineer from the Willie G. Davidson Design Division presented.  Focus was welding processes, equipment and procedures for production and building “The Dream" a dream bike like the V-rod.  This education program concentrated on the skills and education it takes to build the American dream through hard work and innovation ingredients found in the American legend, the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company.

Members of the welding industry participated with demonstrations by key persons as well as support in time and kind.  A full article detailing the event appears in the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology World of Welding Winter Issue.  Photographs of the event can be found on the Arizona Western College photo archive.

 Please direct comments or questions regarding this program to Professor Samuel Colton at:   welderswithoutborders@yahoo.com or samuel.colton@azwestern.edu or call the professor on his main campus office phone at 928-344-7570 to learn more about welding education opportunities.