On Fire! National Grant Awarded to MA’s Welding Program

NOVA operates the only certified welding program for aspiring technicians in the Northern Virginia region. With demand skyrocketing for welding technicians to support the growth of data center projects and other industry needs, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program recently awarded NOVA’s Manassas Campus a $617,000, three-year grant to build futures in welding and fabrication. The new programs will begin in Fall 2025.

The NSF ATE grant will support the redesign of NOVA’s welding certificate by creating a fabrication capstone course — which will move students into paid internships — and expand high school outreach. The grant will utilize current resources while updating equipment to support the growth of the program. The program is designed to facilitate a trade-centered experience for students attaining industry certifications that improve their employment outcomes.

Working with the Grants Office were Co-Principal Investigators (CPIs) Santiago Rivera (Program Head), Mary Ratcliff (Fab Lab Coordinator) and Dr. Cathleen Cogdill (Associate Dean, MSTB). The CPIs teamed up with Josh Labrie and Chris Russell of SySTEMic to write a grant that would expand the welding program from 60 to 90 students. The grant also offers students the opportunity to compete in SkillsUSA state and national competitions in welding. SkillsUSA offers the largest showcase of career and technical education in America for students to demonstrate their work to regional professionals.

Submitted by:
Karen Todd, MA-CCR, KTodd@nvcc.edu