New Welding Shop for Dualtech Trainees

Experts project the global welding industry to grow to $28.66 billion by 2028. A big portion of this value is from demand for workers for oil, gas, water and other essential pipelines. In Dualtech, the new welding shop is one important step to help trainees upskill and be competently equipped.

Dualtech staff, mentors, consultants and various personnel witnessed the inauguration of the welding shop last November 2022. The space has 14 welding machines, with types ranging from Stick or TIG, GTAW and SMAW. Fr. Jong Sabandal, the school chaplain, officiated over the blessing. The shop was put into operation a few days later, on December 6. By the end of 2022, more than 300 trainees have experienced hands-on training in the welding shop.

During the blessing, Fr. Jong said the following to those present in the simple event: “This building should also be a reminder for us that we will never be lacking in the Lord. As long as we work hard, we cooperate with each other, things will become truly better and better. Also, one more thing I see is our administration’s vision. We have not seen what is yet to come, but the administration knows.” The chaplain also repeated a few times that “the blessings of our Lord do not come in trickles, but they pour.”

Prior to the opening of the shop, one of the trainees actually had to make do with watching and learning from tutorial videos online so as to understand “the basic process of how to weld, the correct voltage, the correct size of the welding rod and what are the safety rules that must be followed.”

Another trainee learned by borrowing his brother’s equipment. Both trainees, along with their peers, felt an improvement in their welding technique after spending time training in the shop.

A welding workshop in Dualtech is a timely asset for the school. Mr. Jefferson Gonzales, Dualtech’s Head of Placement, has mentioned that most of Dualtech trainees who participated in in-plant trainings have experienced being assigned to work involving welding. In fact most of the partner companies are engaged in fabrication, hence the need for welding skills.