Piedmont Technical College outdoor welding lab will offer students valuable ‘real-life, hands on experience’  

Piedmont Technical College outdoor welding lab will offer students valuable ‘real-life, hands-on experience’

Work is underway on an outdoor welding lab on that will provide Piedmont Technical College (PTC) students with “real-life” experience as they prepare to enter the workforce.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the $650,000 structure was held earlier this fall. It is being built on PTC’s Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood beside the William “Billy” O’Dell Center for Manufacturing Excellence. Construction should be completed in spring 2026.

“The importance of this project is that it will actually give students more real-life, hands-on experience,” said Engineering and Industrial Technology Dean Christina Knight. “It basically brings the industry to the classroom.”

Jim Ladd, director of PTC’s welding program, said, “Establishing an outdoor welding lab provides students with a dynamic and realistic training environment that closely mirrors the conditions they will encounter in the field. Unlike the controlled atmosphere of an indoor shop, outdoor welding introduces variables such as wind, temperature fluctuations, lighting changes, and uneven terrain—factors that welders must learn to adapt to in real-world job sites, especially in construction, pipeline and structural steel industries. “

Ladd said that by training in an outdoor setting, students gain:

“This approach not only strengthens technical skills but also fosters resilience, problem-solving, and professionalism—key attributes employers seek in today’s workforce,” Ladd said. “An outdoor welding lab bridges the gap between classroom instruction and jobsite reality, ensuring our students are not just certified, but truly career-ready.”

About Piedmont Technical College:

Piedmont Technical College (PTC) is a comprehensive two-year college offering hands-on training in the latest technologies and exacting skill sets that are most sought after by employers in our region. PTC contributes to the economic growth and development of the largest region of the South Carolina Technical College System, including Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda counties, generating an annual economic impact of $240.8 million. Throughout the region, PTC serves around 8,000 students annually. For more information, visit www.ptc.edu