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TradesWelding
UHP Skilled Trades Institute

Build a Career
in Welding

This accelerated, hands-on program prepares veterans for opportunities in fabrication, construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, and repair by building welding fundamentals and developing real shop experience.

Apply now Funding & admissions

Program at a Glance

  • Five weeks on UHP’s Northwest Arkansas campus
  • Hands-on welding and metal-fabrication labs
  • Process-based welding practice
  • NCCER safety training
  • Career preparation
  • Housing and meals provided
  • Zero-cost pilot cohorts currently available
What you will learn

Build the skills the trade requires

Our program combines welding fundamentals, shop instruction, and repeated hands-on practice to help students build confidence with the tools, processes, and expectations of the trade.

01

Welding Fundamentals

Develop a working understanding of welding equipment, materials, terminology, setup, and core processes.

02

Shop Safety

Learn safe work practices, personal protective equipment, hazard awareness, and expectations within a welding environment.

03

Cutting and Material Preparation

Practice preparing metal using tools and processes such as oxyfuel and plasma cutting.

04

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Build experience with machine setup, electrode selection, beads, fillet welds, groove welds, and open-root applications.

05

Blueprint and Weld-Symbol Reading

Develop familiarity with drawings, measurements, weld symbols, and instructions used to communicate fabrication requirements.

06

Weld Testing and Evaluation

Practice welds under conditions that familiarize students with the types of process-based tests employers may use.

Training and credentials

Build a recognized training foundation

Earn During the Program
  • NCCER Construction Site Safety Orientation
  • UHP Welding program completion credential
Train With
  • Welding fundamentals
  • Shop safety and equipment setup
  • Cutting and material preparation
  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding practice
  • Structural welding applications
  • Blueprint and weld-symbol reading
  • Mock weld tests
Leave Prepared For
  • Entry-level welding and fabrication opportunities
  • Employer-specific weld testing
  • Apprenticeship pathways
  • Civilian employer conversations
  • Additional process, employer, or local requirements

Welding qualifications frequently depend on the process, material, position, employer, and job requirements. Completion of the UHP program does not replace every employer-specific weld test, apprenticeship requirement, or local qualification.

Train, live, and learn on campus

The full program takes place on UHP’s Northwest Arkansas campus, with training, housing, meals, and daily support provided in one immersive environment.

See the student experience
The accelerated model

Five weeks of focused, practical training

Welding skill is built through repetition. UHP gives veterans five immersive weeks to learn the fundamentals, build real arc time, receive instructor feedback, and prepare for the expectations of civilian welding environments.

Week 01

Core Safety & Shop Foundations

Build a foundation in construction safety, welding terminology, equipment, personal protective equipment, and shop procedures.

week 02

Cutting & Welding Fundamentals

Practice material preparation, oxyfuel and plasma cutting, machine setup, and foundational welding techniques.

week 03

SMAW Skill Development

Build consistency through Shielded Metal Arc Welding practice, including beads, fillet welds, and electrode application.

wekk 04

Structural Applications

Progress into groove welds, open-root practice, structural applications, blueprint reading, and weld-symbol interpretation.

week 05

Testing & Career Preparation

Complete mock weld tests, reinforce core processes, prepare for employer conversations, and evaluate next-step opportunities.

Final weekly sequencing may change as the curriculum is completed.

Career applications

Careers built on welding skills

Welding supports essential work across the fabrication, construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, maintenance, shipbuilding, and repair industries.

Structural Welding

Contribute to the fabrication and joining of structural components used in buildings, infrastructure, and industrial projects.

Manufacturing and Fabrication

Build, assemble, modify, and repair metal components within production and fabrication environments.

Maintenance and Repair

Use welding and metalworking skills to repair equipment, machinery, vehicles, and industrial systems.

Energy and Infrastructure

Support the construction and maintenance of systems and structures used across the energy, transportation, utilities, and public infrastructure spaces.

Career opportunities depend on welding process, experience, qualifications, employer requirements, location, and successful completion of any required weld tests. Program completion does not guarantee employment.

Frequently asked questions

Welding questions, answered

No, previous welding experience is not required. The program is designed to help veterans build foundational welding skills through structured instruction, hands-on shop time, and repeated practice. Veterans with backgrounds in fabrication, maintenance, engineering, metalwork, shipboard operations, or hands-on repair may recognize some familiar concepts, but those backgrounds are not required.
UHP delivers an immersive, full-time training model built around focused instruction, daily shop practice, repetition, and instructor feedback. The program is designed to establish a strong foundation and prepare students for next-step opportunities, not to replace every employer, apprenticeship, or process-specific requirement.
Students can earn the NCCER Construction Site Safety Orientation credential during the program. The complete welding credential pathway is being finalized, and Admissions will confirm the credentials associated with each cohort before enrollment.
The program includes process-based practice and mock weld testing intended to prepare students for employer and industry testing environments. AWS certification is not automatic; it depends on completing the required qualification test through an approved testing process.
Training includes welding fundamentals, cutting and material preparation, and a Shielded Metal Arc Welding progression. Specific processes, materials, positions, and testing activities may vary by cohort.
Select 2026 pilot cohorts are offered at no tuition cost to accepted veterans. Availability, acceptance requirements, and program dates vary by cohort.
Yes, housing and meals are provided during the on-campus program.
Students move through classroom instruction, shop safety, equipment setup, welding practice, physical training, instructor feedback, and structured time with their cohort.
No. Employment depends on the student, employer, role, location, qualifications, interview process, and any required weld testing. UHP provides training, career preparation, and support in evaluating workforce opportunities.
Welding requirements differ by employer, process, project, and location. Many employers evaluate welders through their own process-based qualification tests. Students should confirm the requirements for the roles and locations they are considering.
No, but candidates with fabrication, mechanical, repair, maintenance, engineering, or related hands-on experience may be the strongest fit. Admissions evaluates each applicant’s background and goals.

Build skills that hold the work together

Develop welding fundamentals, build real shop experience, and prepare for your next career alongside other veterans.

Apply now