SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The USS Midway has transformed into a classroom for future welders.
The San Diego College of Continuing Education said it's the first in the country to launch a pilot like this.
"You've probably noticed some of the work happening aboard the USS Midway, but you probably didn't know that those are students from the San Diego College of Continuing Education. What they're welding here will soon be a railing aboard the ship," said
"It's almost like an art kind of in a way. It's about your hand movements. It's almost like you're drawing with melted metal," said Liam Mcgeheath
McGeheath is one of the students learning the trade aboard the USS Midway.
He said its exciting to work in a real-world environment.
"This is an important San Diego monument- a lot of people come here when they come to visit San Diego so it's cool that my work and the projects we worked on will be here for the majority of the life of the ship," he said.
He never thought he would be working on the decommissioned Navy carrier.
Neither did his classmate Ariana Espinoza.
They are doing it tuition-free.
"I was already was evoking two jobs as it was. California is really expensive. I never would have been able to take classes if it wasn't for this school," said Espinoza.
After trying different industries, she chose to be a welder like her grandpa.
"I would hope he would say that he's proud of me. I would really like to think that he would be proud more specifically that I persevered and showed that I was focused and really driven on something that I was very passionate and interested in and not really listening to what everyone else said," she said.
Their instructor said it's amazing to be able to provide the opportunity to deserving students.
"To see them succeed and be so well equipped to go out into the workforce and achieve living wage jobs - career paths with tremendous opportunity is the most fulling thing for me as a welding instructor," said Brad Dorschel, instructor.
The USS Midway said having the pilot program aboard is a win-win.
It should continue through the spring.
"If I have any power over this- it's going to continue for years and we're hoping to expand," said Tina Chin, Director of Education at the USS Midway.
It means it wants to bring aboard HVAC and plumbing students.
