Welding student Nick Brock enjoys working under the helmet.
“For those who have never done it, when you are welding, it’s loud and hot and exciting,” Brock said, adding that he likes the camaraderie of working in a shop with other welders.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Brock considered motorcycle mechanic school when he left the armed services because he enjoyed working with his hands on airplanes. Instead, he decided to enter the welding program at Collin College’s Technical Campus.
The choice is paying off for him in more ways than one. Just a couple of semesters into the program and he has a full-time job with Watson & Chalin, a truck and trailer suspension company based in McKinney. And to top it off, the company is reimbursing his tuition and working with his schedule so that he can continue to pursue his associate degree.
Brock was one of nine current welding students hired by Watson & Chalin after an interview and skills testing organized through Collin College. The company developed a relationship with Collin after a tour earlier this year, so when it needed to hire more welders, they thought of the college’s welding program.
Thirteen students were recommended by faculty. Eleven passed the company’s weld test and were interviewed, then received employment offers. Only two declined.
The students were hired at a starting salary of $18.50/hour with tuition reimbursement from the start of their first day of employment. The students work 30-32 hours a week and hold full-time employment status with benefits.
“It was a pretty big surprise,” Brock said of the job offer. “I thought I’d go to school and just see what happens. I didn’t expect there to be an opportunity like this.”
As for Watson & Chalin, the company expects the students to finish their education, according to Amy Karrigan, human resources manager for Watson & Chalin.
“We told them that we will pay for your classes, but you have to stay in school. You can’t drop out,” she said. “We put an emphasis on education because that is very important.
“The more skills they have, the better off we are as a company. Education gives them opportunities to (change positions). If they don’t want to be a welder their whole life, we have other opportunities here.”
For now, Brock is content with attending school and learning everything he can on the job.
“Since I’ve gotten there, I have just been striving to learn more and more,” he said. “I am just trying to make myself a valuable asset to them.”