Page 19 - Fall 2014 World of Welding

hiwt@welding.org HOBART INSTITUTE OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY

HIWT GRAD ENJOYS BUILDING SHIPS

Five years ago, Joel
Baden was working in
the automotive industry
when he became
part of a reduction of
workforce, along with
many others at that
time. He was seeking
retraining to get back
into a job as soon as
possible and found
Hobart Institute to be
a perfect opportunity,
especially since he
was a Troy resident,
the school was located
nearby, and the
program was just nine
months in length.

After graduating from
the Combination
Structural and Pipe
Welding Program, Joel Baden (8th from left) pictured with the crew he worked with on the Gerald R. Ford.
Joel took a position as a
structural welder at
Huntington Ingalls
Industries in Newport News, tubes and structures that supported the shafts and
Virginia, in September 2010. propellers. It takes about six years to build a carrier.

“I almost turned the job down,” Joel explained, “thinking Most of the welding that Joel does is flux cored arc or

I might be able to make more money somewhere else. shielded metal arc welding of carbon steel or stainless
But when they explained their pay progression to me, it steel in a wide range of thicknesses. Many of their welds
made sense to accept. I understood that you might have must pass ultrasonic or magnetic particle inspection.
to gain a bit of experience before you can earn the higher They generally work in teams and two or more people
pay.” often work on different weld passes of the same joint of
the weld.
“Instead of starting out as a helper, they put me to work
right away as a welder,” said Joel. “I am currently on a “It is important to take your work seriously and be proud
crew of about 15 welders, working on new construction of what you weld. You get to work side-by-side with
of the aircraft carrier, John F. Kennedy.” welders from across the country, as well as other Hobart
Institute graduates,” commented Joel. “It is satisfying
Not long ago, he was working to complete the aircraft to know that, as a welder, you play an important role in
carrier, Gerald R. Ford. During part of that construction, the construction of what is being built – that you had a

Joel was on a crew to weld the hull, in addition to the part in it.”

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