Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC celebrates new graduates, and workers, from program completion ceremonies

Photos and story by James Hill

The Portland Community College Maritime Welding Training Program hosted its annual graduation on Thursday, June 15 at the Swan Island Trades Center. More than 20 happy maritime welding students received their certificates to symbolize their hard work and achievement.

The students received certificates for their completion and many celebrated with their families and friends in attendance at the center. The ceremony was much more than honoring the end of their training, but the beginning of their careers and entering a manufacturing industry in dire need of fresh workers.

“We are in a tough time right now as an industry,” said Frank Manning, Vice President of Operations and Business Development at Diversified Marine Inc. “We have a shortage of people. There are tons of new construction opportunities coming up due to new emission standards and everything needs to be rebuilt. We need more workers than we have right now.”

This shortage is why companies like Vigor Industrial and Diversified Marine are big supporters of PCC’s maritime welding training. The Maritime Welding Training Center is a 4,000-square-foot facility that was built to provide Vigor, which is the region’s leading company centered on shipbuilding, ship repair, ship conversion and complex industrial fabrication, plenty of qualified ship welders.

“I think you got some of the best welding training in the country right here at PCC,” said Carrie Weikel-Delaplane, program dean for Mechatronics, Electronics and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. “We have seen students transform the lives of themselves and their families through welding training. In partnership with Vigor Industrial, we are proud to be a Designated Maritime Center of Excellence where we train folks to move into high demand and high wage careers.”

The center, which features 40 welding booths, sits within earshot of the Swan Island shipyards. As a result of its location and recent collaboration, the facility is providing a steady stream of trained and qualified workers to companies like Vigor.

“We are so appreciative of the longstanding partnership with Vigor Industrial,” said Karen Paez, associate vice president of Academic & Career Pathways. “It’s a very meaningful one. It gives us the opportunity to create a learning environment for our students that is like none other at one of the largest and most capable shipyards on the West Coast. It really transforms the learning experience.”

PCC’s program is the region’s entry point to training, skills-building and opportunity. Together, Vigor and the college offer students unparalleled, hands-on education under the expert guidance of diverse and student-centered faculty. Last summer, welding faculty created two new Career Pathway Certificates that tie into the skills that businesses like Vigor want.

“The students basically walk across the street from the shop and become gainfully employed after they pass their weld test,” said Matt Scott, welding instructor.

To complement the tailored training and reach new populations to further build the workforce, faculty have been recruiting from typically under-represented populations in welding. The Maritime Welding Pathway is diversifying its student cohorts – 27% identify as female or non-binary while the latest welding cohort is composed of 50% women.

For more details on the program’s certificates, visit pcc.edu/maritime-welding.

Nursing Pinning Ceremony

More than 25 graduates walked the stage of Milwaukie High School on June 17 to receive their nursing pins from a friend or family member. The annual completion ceremony marks the transition of the nursing students into the healthcare workforce, which is experiencing a dire shortage at the moment. Hundreds of friends and family were in attendance to cheer on the grads, including PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings.