Welding technicians are in high demand both locally and nationally.
The American Welding Society projects the need for 320,500 new welding professionals in the U.S. by 2029. Demand for welders is also expected to increase in Upstate South Carolina as industries that require these professionals continue to grow in the region.
Greenville Technical College has expanded its welding program to meet this workforce need by building a $32 million Center for Welding and Automation Excellence on its Brashier Campus in Simpsonville. The new 44,000-square-foot facility welcomed students for the 2026-27 school year in August.
Elevated need
According to Greenville Technical College, only one new welding technician enters the workforce for every four that retire and leave the field. Wayland May, global welding director at Fluor Corporation, explained that it can be challenging for companies to find and recruit candidates for open welding positions…