Welding is more than a well-paying, in-demand career — it’s an art form. And like any other craft, learning from someone who has mastered the skills and techniques can make all the difference.

Tim Harris has been the welding instructor at the GACTC since 2008, leading high school and adult programs. Tim has worked as a welder in the industry since he was 18 years old, securing employment across many industries, including railroad, nuclear, manufacturing, and building trades as both a welder and an inspector.

In his career, he would often be tasked with taking an item—such as a freight car in a state of disrepair—and resurrecting it to its fully functioning state.

I can cut down anything that’s metal, fix it, and build it right back up,” Tim said with satisfaction. “That’s probably the most enjoyable part of my life.

Tim has a natural propensity for teaching. In addition to working in the welding industry, he ran two successful regional martial arts schools. In his welding classes, Tim is able to meld his passion for welding with his respect for discipline, ensuring that his students learn how to perform the job well and do it safely.

He explained that welding offers a host of opportunities for those who acquire this technical skill.

There’s an entire spectrum a welding student can get into—from selling welding machines to making welding machines to making skyscrapers to working on locomotives—there’s just a wide range of careers available.

An effective approach to teaching is understanding it’s about much more than knowledge, experience, and safe practices. Tim understands that he needs to be able to transfer these skills to his students. And he’s been very successful in doing so.

The GACTC consistently invests in attracting instructors who have these sought-after skills and equipping them with the tools that students will encounter in the workforce. Tim’s shop gives students the tools and materials to learn everything from basic welding and cutting techniques to more advanced technologies, such as robotic welding.

Tim firmly believes, “The GACTC welding shop is one of the most technologically advanced welding shops in the area. With that, our students are getting exposed to education that they can then carry out into industry.”

As a Quality Assurance Manager (QAM), Tim is qualified by the American Welding Society (AWS) to certify welders throughout the industry using onsite testing, inspection, and grading.

The GACTC Welding with Print Reading program can be completed in nine months.