Staff Writer

editorial2@thomastontimes.com

Industries that train together, stay together. Local industries InnoWare Plastic Inc., Quad Graphics, Ten Cate and Oracle have dusted off their thinking caps and banded together for welding classes on March 25-28 at Flint River Technical College.

The four-day course curriculum is teaching employees introductory and advanced methods of welding. Employees began by learning stick and mid welding during Phase One of training. Stick welding is a basic manual welding process used to join steel and other metals together. According to Randy Ballinger, Maintenance Manager of InnoWare Plastic, teaching employees basic and advanced methods gives them the added technical edge on the production floor.

According to Ballinger, Andrews always offers different kinds of training services through Flint River Technical College. After working closely with Andrews for nearly a month, the welding training classes were ready to present to employees.

Ballinger said, “It’s really unique.Flint River Technical College representatives have been out to the plant and looked at our machines. Based on our needs, Flint River Technical College has come up with the type of welding training we need.

“I think everyone’s biggest challenge in life is to find the time to do things we need to do. Flint River Technical College was willing to create a schedule that worked for us.”

“This training course is a true representation of the Maintenance Roundtable and what Andrews does. He works with all businesses and industries in the area. It’s important to all of us to strengthen these industries, and it is the main focus of the Maintenance Roundtable,” Ballinger said.

“We will teach the beginners safety, how to designate rods and different applications for different methods. We will cover all the basics and touch on more advanced topics.”

Andrews said, “These students will be the only [people] on campus this week. Flint River Technical College is in the middle of switching courses, and it was a great opportunity to allow these industries in for training.”

Ballinger said, “I believe this is one of the largest technical training programs we’ve put together. Our employees are working their full shifts, and then committing another two and a half hours to attend these classes. It takes a lot of commitment on their part to do something like this and the employees are excited about it.

“This four day course is only the beginning of Phase One. We plan on continuing training classes when each quarter is out.”