Steel racks for the retail welding shop are completed. 

We have welding jobs and training continuing. Welding is at the heart of job placement in our future. 

The new RTM Services Office is being built

We started on the new RTM office. This will allow us to open to the public as a welding shop. 

John "Red" Bandy Training

From the American Welding Society: "The United States is in the midst of a welder shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for skilled labor grows. Studies show that there are more than 500,000 welders employed in the U.S.  And the need for these skilled workers is only getting stronger as virtually all construction and manufacturing companies require some form of welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair.  But finding a highly skilled and experienced welder is no easy task.  Skilled welders are in short supply and the situation is only getting worse. According to AWS and other industry research, the average age of a welder is in the mid-fifties, with many approaching 60 years old.  It is estimated that more than half of the industry’s highly trained workforce is nearing retirement." (1) Although this article is dated, the problem remains: the Wall Street Journal, in its article, "Problem for American Industry: A Good Welder is Hard to Find"(2)  continues to echo the opportunities for us as a ministry. John "Red" Bandy has a heart to help the men we serve learn this trade and become viable job candidates.

"Red", the Welding Supervisor is training our new student Jason. Jason desires to learn the trade. 

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(1) https://app.aws.org/pr/shortagefactsheet.pdf
(2) "http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/03/28/problem-for-american-industry-a-good-welder-is-hard-to-find/