NCJ Number
72365
Journal
Welding Journal Dated: (March 1980) Pages: 17-24
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Training prison inmates as welding operators helps in their rehabilitation and, because of their training at the Northern Michigan University Vocational Skills Center, provides industry with 'graduates' who are qualified welders.
Abstract
The vocational skills center was chosen to train inmates in setting up and operating manual and semiautomatic welding equipment because it provided an industrial-type atmosphere with all the equipment required in a welding operation. The center simulates welding job conditions, and inmates learn the use of related equipment such as cut-off wheels and chainfalls as well. With this kind of exposure, an inmate will more readily be able to enter into industry. Staff working with the inmates must be completely unprejudiced, willing to work extensively in person-to-person situations to develop foreman-employee relationships, and be tolerant of impatience and hostility. Inmates must come to the program with at least a ninth-grade reading ability, some facility with mathematics, attainment of 'trustee' status, and be within 1 year of release. If personality problems, lack of dedication, or lack of interest occur during the course, these students are dropped. The Production Welder Program was designed to train students in the basic manual and semiautomatic welding skills, with advanced topics and skills placed in separate advanced blocks to be used only for those inmates with demonstrated ability and dedication. In about 15 weeks students master enough objectives to begin work in the trade; 20 percent theory is mixed with 80 percent manual skills training. The latter covers all-position welding of mild steel with the SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes, severing objects of mild steel using oxy-fuel gas and electric cutting methods, and high production applications. In order to train the students well, instructors must maintain their own welding skills, keep abreast of technical advances in the field, and emphasize job safety at all times. Together with the correctional guards, they must remain alert to security problems in the classroom. Since this program's inception in November of 1977, there have been 41 production welder graduates and 17 inmates have been certified in place or pipe welding. Photographs, course outlines, and advanced course lesson plans are provided in the test.