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out of high schools in Seattle to build a skilled workforce. This program will increase the number of skilled individu- als that can apply for jobs.?Seattles job market is strong at this juncture. Unemploy- ment was 5.8 percent in April, below the national average of 7.5 percent, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Dept. of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics. WELDING PAYS WELL IN SEATTLE An entry-level welder makes $14 to $20 an hour, pre- apprenticeship, in the Seattle area,? Vigor spokesman Brian Mannion said last month. Seattle has hundreds of open- ings for welding jobs and not enough workers with the skills to ? ll them,? he said. Lots of people want to learn these skills.? In addition to their standard hours, welders often earn overtime that can be double or triple an hourly wage. For the current Harbor Island program, which will be repeated in January, applicants must be 18 years of age or older; have a high school diploma or GED, math skills at a pre-algebra level, and some mechanical abilities. They must read and write English at an intermediate level and be able to pass a drug test. Some previous welding experi- ence is preferred. Haley didnt have data on characteristics of the Harbor Island centers ? rst class by age, sex or ethnic background. Nevertheless, she insisted, We look for a di- verse population.? Harbor Island is similar to the Swan Island Training Center for welding, opened by Vigor and Portland Com- munity College in 2008. The Portland Community typi- cally has more than a hundred people on its waiting list for that program,? Mannion said. Separately, the new Seattle course teaches students how to diagnose and address welding defects; demonstrate safe- equipment operations; complete welds in a vertical posi- tion for marine work; learn about joint ? t-ups, pre-weld preparations, back gouging, shear points, weld stress and warpage; execute other shipyard skills and weld outdoors in any weather. Seattle, of course, tends to be rainy. Vigor has invested over $500,000 in seed money to build and out? t the Harbor Island facility and to get it up and running, Mannion said. South Seattle Community College is leasing space from us, administering the pro- gram and paying instructors salaries.? The United Asso- ciation of Plumbers and Pipe? tters and Local 32 supplied the centers new welding machines. Were exploring funding options and workforce devel- opment resources for the center with the federal govern- ment, the state, the county and nonpro? ts,? Mannion said. Nothings written in stone at this time.? Tuition, workforce development grants and other funding could be enough to www.marinelink.com MN July2013 Layout 18-31.indd 256/27/2013 1:01:53 PM