The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) has recently recognized UAS Ketchikan faculty member Steve Brandow for his contributions in revising and updating the national welding curriculum which supports the American Welding Society’s (AWS) standards and guidelines. Specifically, the revisions support the publishing of the fourth edition of Welding Level One, a trainee guide.

Mr. Brandow has dedicated time to this project for the last 18 months. He was one of a variety of experts who participated in this nation-wide project and the only representative west of the Rockies. Mr. Brandow has taught welding at UAS Ketchikan for twelve years. He is an AWS Certified Welding Educator and AWS Certified Welder. He served a 4 year apprenticeship at Ketchikan Pulp Mill and worked construction for 23 years, including 15 years with his own welding business.

The NCCER is a not-for-profit education foundation established in 1995 by the world’s largest and most progressive construction companies and national construction associations to address the severe workforce shortage facing the industry and to develop a standardized training process and curricula. According to the Department of Labor, 600,000 to 700,000 welding professionals currently work in the United States, but as many as 250,000 additional welders will be needed by 2010 to keep pace with current demand.