The Welding Technology program at Green River Community College offers you training in multiple welding styles, in preparation for immediate employment in this diverse field. Job placement of graduates from this program is excellent. Welders join pieces of metal by placing them close together, heating them until the metal flows, and fuses to form a cohesive bond. They control this joining process by concentrating the heat from a gas torch or electric arc and by using metal rods to supply extra metal. Welders must wear protective clothing, shoes, hoods, and goggles to prevent burns. The AAS degree is designed to train the student for employment in the welding field as a structural steel detailer, trade welder, engineering aide and sales engineer, as well as for rapid advancement to inspection, shop planning, supervision or one of the many related fields. The Trade Welder program is designed to train a student in the shortest time possible to reach the level of proficiency required to pass the American Welding Society or the Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO) tests. An individual working in the metal fabrication field may also enter this program to acquire skills and gain experience with various specialized welding processes available to Green River Community College.