Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) board members will consider voting to approve two welding degrees at their 5:30pm meeting tonight (Monday) at NMC's Oleson Center. 

The proposal offers "two new degree pathways for students interested in pursuing careers in welding," according to a memo from Vice President for Lifelong and Professional Learning Marguerite Cotto. "NMC currently does not have a dedicated associate's degree pathway in Welding Technology, and students interested in pursuing such with an interest in welding can only achieve an Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree through the Manufacturing Technology track."

If approved by board members, the proposal would make two new welding degrees available starting in fall 2017: an AAS degree in Welding Technology (62 credits/84 contacts) and a Level 1 Certificate in Welding Technology (17 credits/26 contacts). The degrees will require investing $60,000 into the college's APL building to support the transfer of arc welding to the building. According to Cotto, benefits of the new programs will include increased opportunity for student transfers to four-year institutions, lower student cost, simplification of student scheduling, and a dedicated AAS degree in welding with industry-recognized credentialing through the American Welding Society (AWS).