Former Students Attribute Success to CPI’s Welding Instructor, Program

Two former welding students from Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology enjoyed the post-secondary program so much that nearly a year after completion, they still come back to visit instructor Ed Finnefrock, who they attribute as a reason for their success.

Graduating in the spring of 2017, Chris Pearce and Collin Spencer found jobs immediately after graduation – Pearce as a welder at Condos Welding in Mill Hall and Spencer as a welder on the gas pipelines in Montrose.

“It’s easy to find a job that’s in-demand and you’re coming out of a program already with experience,” Spencer said.

The nine-month program allows students to use a variety of arc and gas welding and cutting equipment to weld metal components together, fabricate new items, and repair and alter metal items according to layouts, blueprints or work orders. Students also learn related skills such as grinding, clamping, positioning, and the detection and repair of cracks using various testing equipment.

“One thing I know for sure is Finnefrock is a good teacher, and helped give me the skills I needed and what I was looking for,” Pearce said. “At almost 40 I went back (to school) and it worked out because the program was so good.”

In the summer of 2017, Finnefrock was named Outstanding Post-Secondary Career and Technical Education Teacher by the Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Education.