Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 15/01) - Seven students completed a month-long welding course at Aurora College here last Friday.
Doug Phillips, who teaches welding in Fort Smith, conducted the course. He taught the same course here, beginning in April, and said this is the first time the Inuvik campus had offered welding.
Phillips said most of his students here came in knowing little to nothing about welding.
"Mainly they're here to get some experience, get familiar with the equipment so they can go to work," Phillips said.
"I cover all basic welding, from the wire feeds, electrodes, cutting with oxygen acetylene and cutting with a plasma cutter."
All the students in the course which wrapped up last week were from Inuvik, and teamed up to make tables and benches for the shop.
The youngest student was Brian McCarthy, 15.
McCarthy made an ashtray out of a round pipe, and thought the course was helpful. He's hoping to find welding work for the summer, and may study it further after he completes school.
Harry Carmichael also found the course useful, even though he has picked up some welding experience over the years.
"Nobody ever taught me the proper way," Carmichael said.
"It kind of lets you go at your own pace," Carmichael said of the course, adding this experience will allow him to do more welding at his job.
George Kunnizzie used the course to brush up on his skills. He worked as a welder in the oilfields before they shut down.
Kunnizzie has been thinking about doing welding again.
"There's going to be a lot of demand for it," he said.
This week Phillips was to conduct a one-week welding course in Fort McPherson. He also did a one-week course in Aklavik in early April.
