CARIBOU, Maine — The welding and metal fabrication program at the Caribou Technology Center just completed a second round of renovations of their workspace this year, almost doubling the number of students that can be served in the instructional program.
According to Keith Dumond, the program instructor, the growth in the program over the past few years created a need for an expansion of the facilities to better serve the needs of the students.
“There is a tremendous demand for new skilled workers within the welding and metal fabrication profession, and this expansion will enable us to provide state-of-the-art training of high-paying positions for our County students,” stated Dumond.
The expansion of the shop area began two years ago with an update of the existing air filtration system, and continued this year with the expansion of bays and additional work area.
The project was made possible through a combination of efforts from various groups, including outside contractors, support staff within the RSU as well as students and staff from many of the other technology programs at the center.
The majority of the expenditures were covered through a grant, but according to Dumond, “A lot of students, staff and outside folks came together to make this happen quickly and with as little disruption to the daily instructional time.
“We were also able to make this an educational opportunity for the students, as they were able to participate in the planning and scheduling as well as actual modification processes,” he continued. “The students actually did most of the work, and it was great to see the level of effort and pride they put in to improve their shop area.”
Ralph Conroy, the director of the technology center, said, “We are very excited about the new welding area. The alterations to this program is just one of many updates and improvements we are making to the technology center. This work and our improvement plans over the coming years are critical to keeping our programs relevant to industry requirements while solidifying our ability to meet student needs.”
Conroy continued, “We have a lot going on here at the Technology Center, and always encourage members of the community to come by and see all the great skills the students are learning.”
The welding and metal fabrication program and most others serve students from six surrounding schools, as well as additional adult education students.
For information about this or any Caribou Technology program, contact the center at 493-4270 or stop by 308 Sweden Street next to the high school for a visit.
