UpNorthLive's Facebook fans voted to hear more about a welding training program to help workers prepare for high-demand jobs.

It's being called a "just-in-time" training program organized by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments (NWMCOG) will give people an opportunity to receive free training in GMAW (MIG) welding, a technical skill in high demand by local employers. The training is being provided by North Central Michigan College (NCMC) and Kirtland Community College.

A mandatory orientation session for the training will be held Thursday, April 26, at 2:00 pm at the Petoskey Michigan Works! Service Center, 2225 Summit Park Drive.

The training has a value of more than six thousand dollars and will be provided for eight individuals who are eligible for Michigan Works! funding (available through federal workforce training funds). Successful graduates of the program will receive a certificate of completion from NCMC and will be tested for an American Welding Society Certification in vertical MIG (an industry-recognized standard).

The training will be held May 21 through June 30. The first week of training will take place at NCMC. The rest of the training will be held in the Mobile Welding Lab, at a location most suitable to enrolled students.

Call the Petoskey Michigan Works Service Center at 231-347-5150 by Tuesday, April 24 to register for the orientation session.

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