Western Iowa Tech holds welding program for kids

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Not all summer programs involve reading or going on field trips.

At Western Iowa Tech Community College, students between 10 and 16 years old put on a welder’s mask and take up a propane torch. The four-day program started two years ago, aiming to encourage more kids to learn about the welding trade.

The students learn about the fundamentals of welding by building bird houses, but program organizer Kevin Woockman hopes kids take away more than just a metal box.

“Whether they grow up as a welder or even doing anything in the welding trade, that’s gonna be something they’ll um be able to carry with them forever,” Woockman said. “Some of these kids are very, very talented. I would be surprised if they don’t go into the welding field or something similar in the trades.”

Additionally, kids didn’t need to pay to take part in the welding program. The fees were paid for by the Scene of the Crash car show and Bummers Car Club.

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