Welding school is booming amid pandemic, jobs are plentiful

Craft Technical Institute, a welding school on Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, has seen increased enrollment amid the pandemic.

The school’s welding course is 6 months long, and 100% of graduates have completed courses with a job.

AS PART OF OURREBOUND BUFFALOINITIATIVE --WE'RE FOCUSING ONGETTING YOU BACKTO WORK.ENROLLMENT INTRADE SCHOOLS ISON THE RISE...AT CRAFT TECHNICALINSTITUTE ... EVERYSTUDENT WHOGRADUATES WALKSOUT THE DOOR WITHA JOB.AND THAT INCLUDESTHEIR FIRST FEMALESTUDENT....7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER OLIVIAPROIA HAS HERSTORY...MEGAN SMITHNEEDED A CHANGE...SO, ABOUT A YEARAGO..

SHE QUIT HERJOB.IT'S A COMPLETE 180FROM WHAT I WASDOING.

I'M A NEWYORK STATELICENSED OPTICIAN.THE MOTHER OF TWOGEARED UP... ANDBECAME THE FIRSTWOMAN TO ATTENDCRAFT TECHNICALINSTITUTE - AWELDING SCHOOL ONMANHATTAN AVENUEIN BUFFALO.MEGAN: IF A GUY CANDO IT, A GIRL CAN DOIT.

I DON'T CARE.WAYNE: ENROLLMENTIS BOOMING EVENDURING THEPANDEMIC.THE SCHOOL'SWELDING DIRECTORWAYNE GUEST SAYS ALOT OF PEOPLE -JUST LIKE MEGAN -ARE INTERESTED INJOINING THEWELDING INDUSTRY...AND JOBS ARE READYFOR THEM.WAYNE: I PROBABLYGET 2-3 CALLS AWEEK LOOKING FORWELDERS.AND STUDENTSGRADUATE ANDENTER THE WORKFORCE QUICKLY.WAYNE: THIS IS SIXMONTHS FROM STARTTO FINISH.STAND UP: NOT ONLYDO STUDENTSGRADUATE 6 MONTHSAFTER THEYSTARTED, THEYGRADUATE WITH AJOB TOO.MEGAN: THAT WASONE OF THE DRAWSTO THIS PARTICULARPLACE OFSCHOOLING.

THEYHAVE 100%PLACEMENT INTOEMPLOYMENT RIGHTNOW.WAYNE SAYS SOMEOF HIS MOST RECENTGRADUATES STARTEDTHEIR CAREERSMAKING 24 DOLLARSAN HOUR... HE THINKSTHE SAME CAN BE INSTORE FORSTUDENTS NOW.WAYNE: I DO HAVECOMPANIES READYTO HIRE THEMALREADY.MEGAN SAYS SHEWILL BE ABLE TOHELP PUT HER 17-YEAR-OLDDAUGHTERSTHROUGH COLLEGEWITH HER NEWCAREER... AND MORE.MEGAN: IN THISCAREER THAT I HAVECHOSEN, THEFINANCES WILL FALLIN PLACE AND I WILLBE ABLE TO DOTHOSE THINGS THAT IWANT TO DO.

THEOPPORTUNITIES ARELIMITLESS.HEAD TO W-K-B-WDOT COM TO FINDOUT HOW YOU CANENROLL IN THE CRAFTTECHNICALINSTITUTE.

INBUFFALO, OP,