THE REFRIGERATION SCHOOL, INC. EXPANDS OFFERING WITH WELDING SPECIALIST PROGRAM

PHOENIX, Sept. 18, 2017 –  The Refrigeration School, Inc. (RSI), the largest heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) school in the country, announced it will launch a Welding Specialist Program in collaboration with Tulsa Welding School in the Phoenix market, with classes expected to start December 11, 2017. With capacity to accommodate 120 students, the expansion will help meet a growing industry demand and provide valuable training and career opportunities for interested individuals.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Phoenix area is ranked among the top 10 cities for welder employment, with more than 4,000 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers employed though May 2016.

“Since 1965, we have trained more than 10,000 students for sustainable HVAC/R careers at RSI. As we continue to see the need for quality, skilled trade workers increase both locally and across the country, we are thrilled to expand our offerings to include welding,” said David Eaker, President at RSI. “Students interested in pursuing a welding career at RSI can expect the same leading, educational approach we have implemented for more than 50 years – hands-on training, taught by highly-qualified instructors, with a strong emphasis on technical competencies.”

A recent survey from RSI found that only 3.8 percent of current high school students plan to attend a skilled trade school after graduation and only 22 percent would be very likely to even consider a career in the skilled trades. However, the American Welding Society estimates there will be a shortage of 290,000 welders by 2020. Graduates of the Welding Specialist Program at RSI will enter the workforce to bridge the skills gap and carve out successful careers in these essential positions.

The Welding Specialist Program at RSI, utilizing Tulsa Welding School’s curriculum, will be primarily lab based and prepare graduates for entry-level positions in structural, pipe and pipeline, and thin alloy welding. Students will learn welding safety, torch cutting processes, proper arc welding equipment setup, important welding control techniques, fundamental welding processes and basic welding metallurgy.

The program will be offered on-site at RSI at 4210 East Washington Street Phoenix, Arizona 85034. For more information, visit www.rsi.edu/programs/welding-specialist/.

About The Refrigeration School, Inc.

The Refrigeration School, Inc. (RSI), part of StrataTech Education Group, was founded in Phoenix in 1965 and has been training students for sustainable HVAC/R careers for more than 50 years. Offering hands-on education with a strong emphasis on the highly sought after electrical skills, diagnostic and mechanical technology proficiency employers seek, RSI’s programs include Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Technologies, Electro-Mechanical Technologies (HVAC-R), Mechanical Maintenance Engineering, and an online solar certification training. RSI is an ACCSC accredited school and licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Post-Secondary Education. For more information, including graduation rates and the median debt of students who complete RSI programs, visit https://www.rsi.edu/about-rsi/regulatory-information/ or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

About Tulsa Welding School

Tulsa Welding School (TWS), part of StrataTech Education Group, was founded in 1949 in Tulsa, Okla. and has trained thousands of individuals to become professional, entry-level welders for more than 60 years. Students learn hands-on, technical competencies and skills in labs, workshops and classrooms, with a curriculum designed to meet employers’ needs. TWS offers Professional Welder and Pipefitting programs. Upon program completion, TWS graduates are equipped to start entry-level careers in a variety of industries, ranging from automotive to manufacturing. TWS is an ACCSC accredited school and licensed by OBPVS. For more information, including graduation rates and the median debt of students who complete TWS programs, visit www.weldingschool.com/GEdisclosure or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.