At A Glance
Associate degree program with extensive hands-on training in the welding and fabrication industry.
Graduates are prepared to enter the workforce in the welding, manufacturing, and pipeline industries with the technical skills for a sustainable career.
Develop plate and pipe welding skills utilizing oxy-acetylene, stick, TIG, MIG, and core wire welding processes. You will have the opportunity to obtain certifications utilizing AWS D1.1 plate welding and API 1104 and ASME IX pipe welding qualification requirements.
Welders appear on the 2025 High Priority Occupations List for the PA Workforce Development Boards where the program is offered.
Available at the Bethlehem, Chambersburg, and Greensburg Centers.
Welcome to the Welding and Fabrication Technology Program
Discover how you can master a career where you can see your work come to life every day, from the first spark to the finished product.
The Welding and Fabrication Technology program prepares you to become a welder and fabricator in the welding, manufacturing, and pipeline industries. You expect to gain practical, hands-on experience with various welding processes and techniques for a sustainable career in the welding industry. The program is ideal for anyone that is interested in a career in the welding and fabrication field including those with no prior welding experience or training.
Your Career Starts Here
Employment of welders continues to grow steadily across the United States with around 45,800 openings projected each year nationwide.
The American Welding Society (AWS), a recognized industry leader in the welding industry, estimates that 320,500 new welding professionals are projected to be needed by 2029. AWS also estimates that there are more than 157,000 welding professionals that are approaching retirement age with 43.2% of the workforce above the age of 45 and 21.4% over the age of 55.
Across the U.S., Welders can earn between $38,130 and $75,850, with a median salary of $43,910 in Pennsylvania.
Earning your Welding and Fabrication Technology degree at Lackawanna College puts you ahead of the game and you can expect to find employment in:
- Structural Steel Welding
- Pressure Vessel Welding
- Pipeline Welding
- Manufacturing Facilities
- Heavy Construction Sites
Jobs you can begin after receiving your degree include:
- Welder
- Welder/Fabricator
- Welder/Pipefitter
- Pressure Vessel Welder/Fabricator
- Pipeline Welder
More About the Program
Lackawanna College’s Welding and Fabrication Technology program, equips you with not only the technical skills required for a successful career, but also focuses on critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and the leadership skills required in the industry.
You will gain experience with metallurgy, welding codes and procedures, blueprint reading, architectural and structural steel drawings, pipe drawings, shop detailing, layout, fabrication, and plate and pipe welding techniques. During your classes, you will perform oxy-acetylene, stick, TIG, MIG, and core wire welding processes and have the opportunity to obtain the AWS D1.1 (3G and 4G) plate welding certification and API 1104 and ASME IX pipe welding certifications.
The Course Work
You will learn the following while earning your Welding and Fabrication Technology degree:
- Arc Welding Processes
- Industry Safety
- Fuel Gas Processes
- Plasma Arc Cutting
- Blueprint Reading
- Structural Steel Detailing, Drawings, and Layouts
- Plate Welding GTAW/GMAW
- Welding Codes, Procedures, and Inspection
- Semi-Automatic Arc Welding
- Metal Surfacing
- Fabrication
- Structural Steel Welding
- Process Piping Blueprint & Fitting
- Piping Codes and Pipe Welding Techniques
- Pipe Welding Processes GMAWP/GTAWP
Program costs for student tools, consumables, and welding certifications are to be determined.