To bring the College into an international standard in welding technology, ZCSPC has recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with Lincoln Electric Company on August 7, 2019. LINCOLN, founded in 1895 with its headquarter in Cleveland, Ohio USA, is a world leader in the manufacture of the highest quality welding, cutting and joining products. The company offers the most comprehensive group of equipment, electrodes, welding training systems, curriculum and resources available for the welding education market today.
The parties signed the memorandum of understanding with the goal of entering a collaborative relationship to create an International Welding Technology and Certification Center/Program with world class welding technology training programs. The parties will efficiently use site resources, accelerate student learning and result in students who are highly employable in global and local industries, promote and develop research, technical cooperation and community services on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
Among the specific areas of cooperation are the following:
1. LINCOLN will provide consultation services to develop an outcomes-based curriculum to meet local industry needs and selected industry relevant international certifications based upon LINCOLN’s extensive library of skills-based welding technology program design.
2. LINCOLN will develop a master teacher program to ensure that ZCSPC has staff fully prepared to deliver highly successful outcomes-based welding technology training programs and effective assessments for students to assure program quality.
3. LINCOLN will introduce the ZCSPC welding technology program leadership teams to LINCOLN’s certification-based partners to offer students access to industry-relevant international certifications.
4. ZCSPC will use its best efforts to recruit sufficient and qualified teaching staff and make them available for master teacher training as recommended by LINCOLN.
5. ZCSPC will use its best efforts to recruit qualified students for the new program at the pilot welding technology site.
6. LINCOLN will support ZCSPC in participating in local, regional, national and international skills competitions.
In line with this effort, the College has procured the latest Welding, Internet of Things and Boring Test Equipment worth about P26 million pesos thru a project proposal submitted by the College, approved and granted by CHED. The equipment is now waiting for delivery.
During the signing of the MOU, LINCOLN introduced the Lincoln Electric Education Partner Schools (LEEPS). It’s a multi-tiered program consisting of three tracks: Track 1 – Welding Exploration; Track 2 – Intermediate Training; Track 3 – Advanced Processes.
Track 3 is for higher education and focuses on advanced manufacturing and processes. Programs on this track are generally tailored to the needs of community colleges and technical colleges. This track facilitates training in all processes covered in the first two tracks, but also encompasses robotic programming and welding, CNC plasma cutting, introduction to engineering and more. At the completion of this track, the school shall now become authorized to host LINCOLN Electric welding educator conferences and train-the-trainer workshops and seminars with all the profits benefitting the school. Schools that meet all requirements of Track 3 may apply to become a Lincoln Electric Authorized Training Facility. Students trained under this program shall receive an internationally-recognized certificate that will give them opportunities for employment here and abroad.