Living in Columbia County, Oregon, Ruben Gonzalez wanted to train for a career in welding. To do it, he did not have to go to Portland Community College (PCC) because PCC came to him.
Last June, the college’s PCC Mobile Welding Outreach and Training Center, in partnership with Union Pacific, visited Gonzalez’s high school in Scappoose. Within the converted shipping container, Gonzalez and 18 of his classmates were introduced to welding techniques like shielded metal arc, flux core and gas metal arc welding. Inspired, he enrolled in PCC’s Maritime Welding Training Program at Swan Island to begin earning credits toward a certificate in shipbuilding, ship repair, ship conversion and complex industrial fabrication.
“I needed a little bit of practice before going into welding,” Gonzalez said. “The trailer really helped me find my art in a way. I just enjoyed going in there every day and had so much fun creating stuff. It was just an environment like no other. It was a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in welding.”
Eventually, Gonzalez wants to apply what he learns to someday work on the ships that are docked at Swan Island and join a union, which he said will set him up well for the future.
“He’s been an excellent student and has been sharpening his skills,” said Todd Barnett, maritime welding instructor at PCC. “He’s already showing potential promise in the maritime industry.”
Bringing back the trades
PCC introduced the mobile center a year ago. Outfitted with six welding booths, the innovative mobile unit travels the college’s district and beyond to provide hands-on training, expanding access to career paths in welding and skilled trades. A few years ago, it was the brainchild of Barnett. Working for Vigor Industrial, he first envisioned the mobile center while overseeing weld tests.
“We had to get additional space to test because we didn’t have room in our classroom,” Barnett recalled. “We rented a testing trailer, and I thought this would make an excellent mobile classroom. The high schools have been gutted of the trades. This is exactly what I envisioned to be able to get out there and bring the training back to the communities.”
From there, the idea sparked the imagination of leaders and partners. The mobile center was developed and launched with the help of the PCC Foundation through a $375,000 investment from Union Pacific and funding from a Future Ready Oregon grant.
“The thing I love most about the training center is not that we are getting multiple kids who can experience welding, although that is amazing, but that we have had the opportunity to change their lives,” said Megan Jarman, project manager of the trailer. “And we’ve seen it happen many times in the past nine months.”
On the road
Since its inception, the mobile center has visited 16 locations, delivering over 450 hours of training to more than 500 students, including nearly 200 in rural areas. It has made stops at schools, tribal lands, correctional facilities and community organizations, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in central Oregon. Sessions range from one-day camps to four-week classes; more than 14 additional site visits are planned over the next two years.
More than 20 institutions across the country have similar welding trailers for their training outreach, including Pueblo Community College (Colorado), Northwood Technical College (Wisconsin) and others. The concept is catching on as the need for additional trained workers increases.
The flexibility of the center allows it to serve six students at a time, or up to 15-20 in staggered groups. Training options include preparing students to pass specific weld tests or to earn Career Pathway Certificates. Graduates can seamlessly transition into PCC’s associate-degree programs or enter Oregon’s workforce, where demand for welders is high. The college provides welding programs at its Rock Creek Campus and OMIC Training Center in Scappoose in addition to Swan Island in North Portland.
The Oregon Employment Department projects over 250 job openings annually through 2027, driven by an aging workforce and the diverse applications of welding in industries like shipbuilding, construction and heavy fabrication. With strong employment prospects and flexible training options, welding offers students a pathway to job security and career advancement.
“That’s why it is important for the welding trailer to get out into the community and show students like Ruben the possibilities,” Barnett said.
Inspiring students
Born in St. Helens but raised in Scappoose, Gonzalez is excited about the welding classes at PCC.
“I love it,” Gonzalez said. “No other school allows you to weld like this, and we’ve just been progressing so fast. It’s been awesome.”
That’s exactly what Barnett had in mind for the trailer and its impact.
“Ruben’s journey is kind of like what you envision for the trailer,” Barnett said. “I just can’t wait for the next student that has been in the trailer to show up here at PCC. It is exactly what the trailer was meant to do, and it’s working out excellently.”
