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Featured photo: Welding student David Lobach in the welding shop on the Henderson County Campus. (Photo by Emily Gill.)
Emily Gill, Marketing & Communications Dept.
Most of David Lobach’s family works in construction, so it came as no surprise when he decided to pursue welding in his time at the Henderson County Early College on the Blue Ridge Community College Henderson County Campus.
“I entered the construction field for my current job as a handyman, and I decided I wanted to continue,” said Lobach. “After graduation I hope to do welding in the construction field.”
Lobach enjoys the level of focus and continuous learning required in welding.
“It’s a little bit hot in there,” he joked, “but you learn a bunch of stuff. You have to always stay focused. There’s always a new concept or practice to learn and build on.”
Lobach encouraged Blue Ridge and Early College students to explore in their college classes.
“Welding’s a cool field, so even if you don’t want to do it as a job, it’s really nice to take the classes, “ said Lobach. “If you’re in high school, Blue Ridge is pretty much free for a lot of students, so you might as well take as many classes as you can.”
Lobach will graduate with the Class of 2025 from both Blue Ridge and the Early College this December. Following graduation, he plans to do more welding in the construction field and eventually go into contracting.
Information about Blue Ridge’s welding program is available at www.blueridge.edu/welding. Opportunities for additional construction and skilled trades training are available at www.blueridge.edu/construction and www.blueridge.edu/apprentice.