‘Changing lives,’ Avon Township hosts unique mobile welding lab

ROUND LAKE – Offering free job training on wheels, Avon Township recently became the first area community to host a state-of-the-art mobile Welding Technology Program.

A 52-foot mobile welding lab parked at the Avon Township Center in Round Lake currently serves as an incubator for hands-on learning for eight adult-age students. Owned by First Institute Training & Management, the semi-truck trailer arrived Nov. 4 as part of a partnership with the township and the Job Center of Lake County.

The lab, complete with cutting-edge equipment, previously had been hosted at area correctional centers.

Upon hearing about it a year and a half ago, Avon Township Supervisor Michele Bauman pursued it as vital to Lake County.

“This is a need,” she said. “The opportunity for us as a township to be able to help people find a better life for themselves is wonderful. This amazing opportunity is giving people a chance to change their lives and possibly their families’ lives, too.”

Avon Township’s partnership with FITM marks the first time the program has been hosted by a township.

The township will host at least two of the program’s five-week sessions for students, and discussions are underway to bring additional cohorts and expand partnerships to other trades and industries. Students apply to be part of the free program through the Job Center of Lake County.

“Our goal is to show people they can achieve so much more than they think,” Bauman said. “This is just the beginning.”

The comprehensive 150-hour Welding Technology Program is designed to prepare students for careers in welding.

Participants learn essential safety protocols, blueprint reading and welding techniques, with a focus on earning an industry-standard certification from the American Welding Society – all at no cost.

Once students complete the training, they are given help and resources to find job opportunities in welding, said Lee Bugg, the program’s instructor. They’re added to a database that employers use.

“These are people that are either seeking better employment, first-time employment, things like that, and they may need additional skills and training,” Bugg said.

Welding is a vital yet often overlooked trade, with a growing demand for skilled workers due to an aging workforce and a decline in vocational training programs. The average age of welders in the U.S. is 65, and the industry faces a significant shortage.

Almost every trade industry requires some form of welding, Bugg said.

“We have multi generations of welders approaching retirement,” he said. “Due to a decline in high school and college level trade classes, there’s really a big gap. Our program is hopefully going to bridge that gap.”

This program is unique in its accessibility and effectiveness. It brings training directly into the community, reducing barriers such as transportation and childcare that often hinder participation in traditional programs.

Originally from Antioch, Hugo Flores became a student when his girlfriend saw information about the program through Avon Township’s social media. He goes to classes in the morning and works in the afternoon and hopes to become a welding contractor.

“It’s just a pretty exciting program, and I think people should take advantage of it,” Flores said.

According to FITM Executive Director Kurt Beier, it was Bauman’s persistence that brought the program to Avon Township.

Since its inception, FITM’s mobile welding program has helped more than 200 incarcerated individuals earn certifications, providing them with tools to rebuild their lives.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the community,” Beier said.