Lincoln Electric Education Program Supports Welding Instructors

Lincoln Electric’s newest education initiative, Lincoln Electric Education Partner Schools (LEEPS), is a multi-tiered program intended to support welding instructors teaching at levels from junior high school to technical college and beyond. At each level, instructors can obtain qualifications and other benefits. In addition, schools that meet certain requirements can become “authorized training facilities” that can run seminars for the company.

LEEPS is intended to keep instructors current and their teaching relevant by integrating a professional development system into their programs. This provides value to both instructors and administrators at participating schools, the company says.

The program is divided into multiple tracks which target instructors based on their missions and student profiles. 

• Track 1 is for welding instructors at the introductory, junior high and high school levels as well as agricultural programs, whose students are in the exploratory phase of learning how to weld.
• Track 2 addresses career pathway and development needs for high school and career center instructors and programs.
• Track 3, tailored to the needs of community and technical colleges, continues career development and focuses on advanced manufacturing and processes. 

Schools that meet all requirements of Track 3 may apply to become authorized training facilities, which can run training programs on behalf of the company.

“The manufacturing industry will need skilled and knowledgeable welders in the years and decades ahead,” says Jason Scales, business manager for education. “Lincoln Electric is committed to supporting and advancing welding education. The LEEPS program is a critical component in the ongoing process of preparing educators for advancing welding’s future.”