COA to start sheet metal program

Program to train aviation workers

Starting Monday, College of The Albemarle students will be a step closer to landing some of the area’s most sought after jobs.

The college’s new seven-week sheet metal training course is meant to provide students with the introductory skills they’ll need to work in either construction or the area’s growing aviation industry.

The training is being offered in response to a growing demand for workers with sheet metal skills. Officials say local employers like DRS Technologies need such workers but are having to recruit them from other areas because few live here.

“A lot of workers are needed in sheet metal for aviation,” Dave Wessel, COA vice president of corporate and continuing education, said. “The jobs available pay much higher than the prevailing wage in this area, and the positions typically come with a full range of attractive benefits to the employee.”

According to officials, the average salary for the type of worker DRS and other potential aviation employers are seeking would be about $48,000 a year. That’s well above the average salary in Pasquotank County currently — $28,000 annually.

The training at COA is designed to give students a leg up, but not a full, extensive education on sheet metal. Wessel said that students who go through the program would be well-suited for apprentice positions.

“What they’re going to come out with is a basic working knowledge of what they need to do in the sheet metal industry,” Donald Yurko, a sheet metal training instructor said.

Yurko, who has 32 years of experience in the aviation sheet metal industry, says that students will need more than a seven-week course to fully understand the industry, but that the training will put them ahead of many other job applicants.

Yurko says he’s “ecstatic” to be teaching the program, which is being funded by two grants. The Golden LEAF Foundation provided $250,000 specifically for the sheet metal program, while a portion of the $300,000 JobsNOW grant is being used for the program, according to Wessel.

Wessel said he anticipates the college being able to hold seven different sheet metal training sessions with the grant money, which he estimates totals $400,000 to $450,000.

Courses will be limited to 12 students. Currently, there are a few available slots. Wessel is confident that those will fill quickly as word continues to spread about the program.

Although college officials are excited about the new program, sheet metal training is viewed as a small step toward their final goal of creating a Federal Aviation Administration- approved air frame and powerplant program. Funding shortages have limited that program to planning stages.

Until funding becomes available, Wessel said he hopes the program will provide students with some of the skills they’ll need to be competitive in the aviation job market.

In the meantime, Yurko is excited to be training students in what he said is an in-demand industry.

“A good sheet metal mechanic can name their price,” Yurko said.

According to information provided by the college, the program will cover the basics of sheet metal fabrication and repair, including general sheet metal forming, properties, selection, standards, fasteners, hardware, corrosion identification and repair.

Citing the potential for a positive economic impact on the area, Yurko said that the training could help locals take advantage of current and future positions in the aviation industry.

“If we can home grow them here, it’s going to be a boom for this place,” Yurko said.