FAIRFIELD — Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is offering a free aluminum welding training program to the Maine public, generously funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation. This course will run from October 23 to December 12, on Fridays and Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course currently has 11 available spots.

The free welding training will teach interested students the art of aluminum welding, including an introduction to the craft, safety expectations, and development of an understanding of metals and hands-on welding techniques.

“Adding aluminum welding to the line up of welding courses at KVCC has allowed us to serve three large employers in the community, F3, Alcom and Nitro Trailer,” said Brian Jonah, KVCC’s Welding Department Chair in a KVCC news release. “These companies are growing and have a high demand for skilled aluminum welders.”

According to KVCC, the free Aluminum Welding Training will be held in the College’s newly-constructed, state of the art welding lab, located on the Fairfield campus. The new and improved welding lab offers expanded training capacity, ADA accessible booths, an improved ventilation system, and additional amenities to provide the highest quality welding education to Maine’s students.

“KVCC is committed to providing affordable higher education to Maine students by providing opportunities for professional development and training,” said KVCC. “By offering free welding classes, KVCC reduces the financial barrier of entry to this in-demand field and enables students to begin or advance their career without fear of putting themselves into lifelong debt. So far, KVCC has trained 14 students, some of which have been hired by local aluminum welding shops.”

Interested prospective students can contact Melissa Mitchell at (207) 453-5083 or mmitchell@kvcc.me.edu for more information or to register. To learn more about the welding training program, prospective students can visit www.kvcc.me.edu/professional-development/schedule-of-current-programs/. Students can also apply for the program here: https://kvcc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Zji4OJPAAeqgaV.

Kennebec Valley Community College is one of seven community colleges operating under the authority of the Maine Community College System Board of Trustees, located on a seventy-acre campus in Fairfield, Maine. KVCC offers the lowest tuition in New England, with tuition rates set at $96 per credit hour for Maine residents. There are multiple financial aid options available for prospective and current students, including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study programs, and more.