Miller partners with Penn College for welding expansion project

This fall, when Pennsylvania College of Technology opens its expanded welding lab facility – one that will enable enrollment of up to 60 more future welders annually – students in the popular program will hone their skills on industry-standard equipment they are sure to encounter on the job.

A partnership between Penn College and Miller, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of original equipment used in the welding industry, will ensure that students in the college’s welding majors gain familiarity with equipment that is used throughout the welding industry.

That equipment, combined with a state-of-the art welding instructional facility (one of the largest, if not the largest in higher education nationwide) and faculty with real-world experience, positions Penn College students for success and marketability in the workforce after graduation.

“We are humbled and grateful for this partnership with Miller,” said Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement. “The college’s relationship with Miller will serve so many students by giving them the hands-on experience they need to be leaders in their field. Miller has demonstrated the strongest commitment to this expansion thus far, for which we are very thankful.”

“Miller is committed to the applied technology education we offer at Penn College,” said Elizabeth A. Biddle, director of corporate relations. “This partnership further demonstrates their commitment to the next generation of welders and tomorrow makers. We thank Miller for this partnership and look forward to how it will enhance our expansion and our students’ experience at Penn College with quality, innovative equipment from a welding market mainstay.”

“Miller is a leader in providing welding machines and equipment to industry, and Penn College is a leader in providing welding education, so partnering for this facility expansion makes perfect sense,” said Jessica Marhefke, segment manager for Miller. “We are thrilled to support this project; graduates of the college’s welding program are vital to the workforce and to our clients. It’s a great benefit to have Penn College students and alumni familiar with Miller as a company and welding industry manufacturer. We value our long-standing relationship with Penn College.”

Construction for the college’s welding expansion, which is made possible in part by a $2 million grant provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, is underway in the college’s Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center, with completion expected for the Fall 2019 semester.

The expansion project will increase the size of welding-related instructional space by approximately 35,000 square feet. Expanding will also allow the welding program to grow the curriculum and address the typical waiting list for potential enrollees.

The college offers a bachelor’s degree in welding and fabrication engineering technology, an associate degree in welding technology, an associate degree in metal fabrication technology, and a certificate in welding.

Miller is a welding industry leader in designing and building advanced products for manufacturing, fabrication, construction, aviation, motorsports, education, agriculture and marine applications. The company has grown from a one-man operation in 1929 to the world’s largest manufacturer of arc welding products.

For information about the Penn College welding program and other majors offered by the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. For more, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.