Students Complete first Basic Welding course at VGCC Warren Campus

Fourteen students participated in the Basic Welding class held at Vance-Granville Community College’s Warren County Campus from March 28 through May 3. It was the first course of its kind offered at the Warrenton campus.

Students in the six-week introductory course learned acetylene and oxygen, or torch, welding techniques. Armed with goggles, torches and brazing tips, students practiced manipulating metal under the guidance of instructor Russell Wahrman, a certified Welding instructor and inspector with over 25 years of domestic and international experience who has taught at other VGCC campuses. Students learned proper safety procedures as well as equipment setup and operation.

The pioneering group that met on Saturdays at the Warren campus was diverse in their ages, backgrounds and goals. Some students were interested in a career in welding, while others sought a more artistic understanding of welding techniques. “I am excited to learn to weld,” Carol Bland of Warren County said. “I am 66, and I am a woman who wants to be able to mend and create with welding equipment.” Others like Warren County resident Alton Davis desire to continue learning more about welding. “I would like to operate different types of welding equipment, such as arc, MIG and TIG welding machines,” Davis said. Larry Alexander, also of Warren County, plans to use his new-found skill to maintain and restore his classic cars.

For more information on courses offered at the Warren County Campus, contact campus director Shelly Taylor at (252) 257-1900.

Above: From left, in front, students Roger Griesinger, Christopher Newell, Carol Bland; from left, on back row, students Marcus Davis, Bobby Wilson, Eric Copeland, Carroll Turner, Kelvin Hargrove, instructor Russell Wahrman, and students Larry Alexander, Walter Bullock and Alton Davis took part in the Basic Welding course held at VGCC’s Warren County Campus.