Student Testimonials
Nora Carr, Graduated July 15th Columbia
The 10 week program was very helpful. I really liked the way all the students worked together on different tasks. The instructors were very helpful at all times. Whenever I had a problem with something, I would get an instructor and they would guide me through the steps. This program has taught me a new skill that I can take with me in my next job which will be a career for me. I’ve recommended a lot of my family and friends to this program. This has been a great experience for me. Thank you Arclabs!
Maurice Thompson, from the Low Country, Graduated July 15th Columbia
I really enjoyed the 10 week program. I have learned a lot about welding. When I first started I did not know what a welding rod looked like, but as time progressed, I fell as though I can take what I learned here and apply my knowledge to a welding career.
Reggie Davis, from the Low Country, Graduated July 15th Columbia
I feel good about Arclabs school, the school as a whole form the front office to the instructors show that they care about teaching welding to you . I recommend this school to others.
Marcel Dillion, Graduated July 15th Columbia
First I would like to thank the entire staff. This training has been a wonderful experience. I’ve taken it all in and will use it to complete my journey of becoming a career welder.
Ryan Kelly, Graduated July 15th Columbia
This 10 week capm really helped me learn and understand the basics of welding. My only complaint is that I hate it’s over. Mike Coleman was a great instructor and I learned a lot from him.
Brandon Holder, Graduate July 2011
The thing that I liked most at Arclabs was the staff. They were helpful in many ways. I am leaving Arclabs with a stick welding certification. I would be more than glad to recommend this 10 week course to anyone. The instructor is an awesome guy who has shown me a lot and I know he could teach anyone to weld.
Paul Tuttle, Spartanburg graduate May 2011
I really liked the course. I was very effective for me and I believe that it will open new doors for my future. Steve was very good at teaching both in the class and in the welding booth. I would definitely recommend ArcLabs to anyone wanting a career in welding.
Billy Bailey, Spartanburg graduate May 2011
I really enjoyed the 10 week welding boot camp. Steve Wheat was a great instructor and really took the time to show me how to become a good welder. I have already recommended a few friends to come to ArcLabs. I look forward to coming back to take the pipe course.
Ian Leitch, Piedmont graduate May 2011
I learned the proper methods to weld and criteria. Without this program i would not have been able to get any certifications. Thank you very much.
Josh Carver, Piedmont graduate May 2011
This class was great! I was a novice and in 10 weeks I feel like I can be confident in a job search and performing welding tasks. Chris was amazing at running a class with different skill levels and goals. Thanks to Heidi, Melanie, Bob and Chris for working with me to give me a skilled trade.
Justin Presley, Piedmont graduate May 2011
I learned more in 10 weeks at ArcLabs than I have my whole life. I wish I had more time to take more classes. I would recommend ArcLabs to a friend, but all of my friends are already trying to get in.
Stephen May, Columbia graduate May 2011
WOW! When I came here I didn’t know anything. Now, I feel great and I have had a blast. Thank you so much for everything, especially to Big Mike and Little Mike.
DeShaun Gregg, Graduate May 2011
I loved everything about the school, every day was a new leaning experience while taking on a new challenge and making the best of it. Mike Coleman is a great teacher, everything about him is just fun and he is always willing to help.
Casey Cohoon, Graduate May 2011
I enjoyed the program very much. The environment was very positive, yet demanding. The instructors were a pleasure to learn from. Overall, I would love to attend ArcLabs again.
Blake Brooks, Graduate May 2011
I really enjoyed taking this class. I learned a lot of very valuable information. All of my instructors and classmates were very helpful and Mike Coleman really went above and beyond when it comes to taking time to go in our welding booths and give us demonstrations and watching how we did our welds in comparison to his. Mike Ehmke was also very patient with us. ArcLabs provided a great learning environment and I was very pleased.
Shawn Blakeney, Columbia Graduate May 2011
The 10 weeks went by very fast, before I knew it , it was over. The training was not only insightful but also fun. I truly looked forward to coming to class each and every day. The instructors were positive, professional, enthusiastic, and encouraging. To anyone looking to make a positive change in life, I would highly recommend them to take the ArcLabs welding class.
Steven Adams- ArcLabs Spartanburg
The ten weeks spent at ArcLabs will probably turn out to be the most important 10 weeks in my life. The time spent here has given me the nexessary skills to perform at a very high level at any job. My favorite attribute about ArcLabs is that the instructors just don’t care about how I did in the 10 weeks but they truly care about how I do after school. They care about my job opportunities and just because I am graduating from here, they are still willing to help me. If I need help with a weld test for a job or if I’m just getting rusty they will be willing to help me. They encourage me to come back and hone my skills. To me its more than a school, it is a family and brotherhood.
Sean Powell- ArcLabs Spartanburg
This class was very good. It benefited me a lot toward building my career. It was well worth the 10 weeks. I learned something new everyday, for sure. The instructors are very knowledgeable in welding and know how to help a student out in any way needed. I honestly cannot find anything I dislike. I’m taking much more knowledge in the welding out of this class than I came in with for sure! This class is very beneficial to any looking for a good welding career.
Michael Knox- ArcLabs Spartanburg
I liked everything about ArcLabs training. The instructors were outstanding welders with a willingness to teach. This training I feel will make a tremendous difference in my options.
Kyle Roberts- ArcLabs Spartanburg
I really had a great experience attending ArcLabs. I learned a lot from Steve and Charles. They are very good instructors and fun to work with. I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me by this school.
Johnathon Davis- ArcLabs Spartanburg
ArcLabs has given me the skills I need to succeed in the welding field. I have enjoyed the course including the people and environment. I am very blessed to have been able to go to ArcLabs.
Robert Rogers
Just wanted to let you know how it's going for me since graduation. I have been working steady 32 to 40 hours a week with IVI. I'm fixing to be hired on full time with the company sometime this month. I would like to thank you for all the opportunities that you all have opened up for me and my family. I have spread the word about ArcLabs to a lot of my friends. Thanks again for everything!
George Scott, Sr.
I would like to take this time to thank you and the other staff members for giving me the opportunity to attend ArcLabs Columbia. By attending ArcLabs Columbia it provided me with the opportuinty to enhance my welding skills. I was very impressed with the welding program that this school has to offer. I believe that completing the program at your school is what enabled me to be considered for the current position that I currently hold as a welder for a very well known company.
Again, I would like to take the time to thank the staff members to include the welding instructors for the ArcLabs Columbia location school.
Kendall Carney
In August 2010 the company that I was working for closed their doors. I was devastated, what was I going to do? I needed a job with benefits and a retirement program. While at the unemployment office I discovered a new career at ArcLabs. Here they offered a 400 hr, 10 week class on welding. 350 hours in the booth welding. In this intense training class they taught me how to weld, and I had never done it before. They taught me how to weld with a stick welder, Mig welder, hard wire, flux core, and a little bit of Tig welding. The most important thing you need to be successful in this class is your attitude. You have to put 110% in the class in order to get all the certifications that you can get. My attitude at ArcLabs was “failure was not an option”. With this attitude and ArcLabs awesome instructors I was able to get certified in SMAW(shielded metal arc welding),3 and 4G positions. GMAW(gas metal arc welding), FCAW(flux core arc welding) both in the 3 and 4G positions. After finishing ArcLabs they were able to place me into a career place with benefits, 401K , and a great place to start that new career that I was looking for, NUCOR . I would like to say thank you so very much to everyone at ArcLabs and everything you did for me in starting my new career.
Dana Massey was the first female student to attend ArcLabs Welding School
Life can take different directions for everyone. Much like directions for putting together a swing set, all it takes is staying focused and putting nut A onto nut B. Before you know it you are swinging and sliding. Sometimes there are no directions; however, you may even be missing the whole bag of hardware to put your swing set together.
Unfortunately for me I fell into the latter group. I was missing the whole bag of hardware and did not knowwhere to turn. At thirty four years old I found myself a single mother of two. I had experienced several failed career attempts, and was at a crossroads…one where I was forced to ask myself "How am I going to get my swing set put together?" I knew I had to better myself for my two daughters and me.
I chose to pursue a welding career, which had always been in the back of my mind. I was fortunate to have a part time job at a nuclear power plant driving the night shift shuttle bus for an outage and had contact with welders. During this time, I discovered that the demand for welders was high and there was a good wage to be earned. I did the research to find out what steps I had to take to reach this goal and tech school seemed to be the only answer for me.
I applied for the WIA program which is funded by the state and learned there was an alternative to tech school, one that would help me reach my goal faster. With my situation, time was definitely of the essence. The choice to me was clear. ArcLabs Welding School was an 8 week program that would teach me the basics to get me started in a welding career. My situation would not allow me two years to learn a skill and have the same opportunity for a paying job.
I found ArcLabs Welding School to be a warm and encouraging environment where I was able to gain confidence in myself. The instructors were more than just teachers, they were people who believed in me, and helped me believe in myself at a time when I was more unsure than ever. Pursuing a career in a male dominated trade seemed unattainable at times. They never let me give in to those intimidations. I am very proud to say that I finished the Core Curriculum in 6 weeks, received my NCCER certification, and was able to get my SMAW 6g certification on pipe and GTAW/SMAW 6g on pipe.
These things have afforded me the opportunity to be a pipe welder for DZ Atlantic. I am now one of five women welders at the same nuclear power station where I drove a bus. I am thankful to Angie Green at DZ for giving me this opportunity and I am excited about advancing my career in welding.
I am also thankful to Bob Fellers and Gene Crook at ArcLabs Welding School for their encouragement and knowledge. I am also very proud to say that after some field work I plan on staying involved with ArcLabs Welding School. I believe in the school and what it can do for people who have "lost the bag of hardware for their swing set." I feel blessed and honored to be able to encourage others to work hard, stay focused, and build their own future in this great trade.