Okanagan College Recruits Students with Virtual Reality Welding Simulator

Canada’s welding industry is expected to see a hiring frenzy in the near futur.

Want to try your hand at welding? Now you can with the virtual reality welding simulator that Okanagan College is using at trade info sessions.

“You put the helmet on, pick up the torch and you feel like you’re welding,” said Dean Nutter, the chair of the College’s Welding Department.

“There is feedback that comes to you through the welder, through sound, and it’s easier to analyze your weld and technique than with real metal.”

Canada’s welding industry is expected to see a hiring frenzy in the near future, as baby-boom-aged welders are approaching retirement.

“It’s also a great way to introduce people to the trade,” said Nutter.

“Nothing will replace the experience of welding metal in a real-world situation, but this certainly is another tool that will help us introduce more people to welding at a time when we’re anticipating a growing shortage of tradespeople.”

The VRTEX360 (made by the Lincoln Electric Company) simulates the welding experience to reduce the amount of material used to train welders. Okanagan College is the first school in Western Canada to use it.

You can try your virtual hand at welding by attending their free info session on May 19, at 7 p.m. in the welding shop at Okanagan College’s Kelowna Campus.

Schools mentioned: Okanagan College