Available Training Makes a Promising Career in Welding a Reality

This article originally appeared on and was written for Bastrop Economic Development Corporation by Golden Shovel Agency.

When you think of high school students, recent graduates, and GED seekers, do you also think about economic development? Bastrop Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) does!

Part of an economic developer's job is to improve the local labor force and enrich the lives of residents by supporting workforce development opportunities. Bastrop, located in the heart of Texas, under an hour from Austin, has phenomenal low-cost workforce training opportunities that translate into well-paying, in-demand careers that don’t require a four-year college degree. It’s like a fast track to a prosperous future.

BEDC is lucky to have exceptional workforce development partners such as Austin Community College (ACC) and the Smithville Workforce Training Center. Let’s turn the spotlight on how the first steps toward a career in welding can be completed in just a matter of weeks.

BEDC worked with Austin Community College to locally offer the Introduction to Arc Metal Welding course (WLDG 1001), a 48-hour total class resulting in an ACC Institutional Award. The class costs $451, but most of the recent student class earned scholarships from the Smithville Workforce Training Center ARPA grant fund. ACC reports that new workers start at around $29,643 annually. The median pay is $47,326, while highly experienced workers can earn up to $68,944.

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