Welding Lab Designated an Accredited Test Facility

One of four Ill. community colleges accredited as test site by American Welding Society

Parkland College Industrial Technology's welding lab has been recognized as an Accredited Test Facility by the American Welding Society, one of only four community colleges in Illinois to hold the designation. 

Through a rigorous documentation and site inspection process, the AWS provides ATF accreditation for facilities, personnel, and equipment to test and qualify welders. For more information, visit aws.org.

Test Scheduling. Tests for Certified Welder (CW) may now be scheduled by appointment with Parkland College Community Education at 217/351-2235. The industrial welding facility is located inside the Parkhill Applied Technology Center on the west side of Parkland’s campus. Original construction of the building occurred in 2013, at which time the welding lab was built to AWS specifications. 

Welding Courses. Enrollment in Parkland College Welding courses has increased each semester, resulting in waitlisted advanced courses in fall 2018 and spring 2019. Registration for summer classes begins April 1, and classes start May 20. Registration for fall classes begins April 8. Due to the popularity of the program, interested students are encouraged to visit http://parkland.edu/getstarted to begin the new student enrollment process as soon as possible. 

Welding Summer Camp. The Industrial Technology program began a Summer Technology Camp in 2017 in partnership with Community Education and the Early College and Career Academy to assist area youth in career exploration. Three Machining and Welding Summer Camps are planned for 2019 and are expected to fill quickly as they have in previous years. Each two-week camp for ages 14-18, covers the same material, is project-based, and provides hands-on experience with industry equipment. Registration will begin Monday, Feb. 18 at parkland.edu/ceRegister.