May 12, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO - The American Institute of Steel Construction's Fabricator Education Training Program has developed and released new resources to help fabrication shops boost employee familiarity with welding as well as the layout and fitup of more complex beams.

AISC's award-winning online Fabricator Education Training Program is a supplement to in-person instruction. It helps new hires acquire necessary skills as quickly as possible, which will, in turn, help them progress into more specialized career paths that become available with experience. They're also an excellent way for a steel fabricator to demonstrate investment in the potential of individual employees, which is key for retention.

Three of the six new courses lay the foundation for the Fabricator Education Training Program's welding curriculum. These courses cover welding symbols and procedures--a perfect complement to hands-on training.

"Being able to watch a few videos on the theory of how and why things work as they do and why certain protocols are followed before they start practicing welding is invaluable in speeding up the learning process," said Stone Bridge Iron & Steel Technical Director B.J. Carmer. "We believe it is important to know the reasons as to how and why versus just being able to hold the gun and run a bead. That makes the difference between a good and a great welder."

AISC has also added three courses to its layout and fitup training to help fabricators work on beams with features like bent steel plate, camber, and CJP weld prep. Each of those components has its own considerations for successful fabrication, and the intermediate course equips steel fabricators with the basic concepts they need for these specific situations.

"We tailored this curriculum to help workers who have both the desire and the aptitude for more advanced work develop the skills they’ll need for the next step in their careers," said AISC Fabricator Education Program Manager Joel Landsverk. "It provides them a solid foundation in reading drawings and the concepts they’ll need to actually perform the tasks involved in fabricating more complicated beams."

AISC will release additional new Fabricator Education Training Program courses on layout and fitup of columns and pitched beams later this year.

The program is an exclusive benefit for AISC full-member fabricators and is included in their membership fees. Learn more at aisc.org/fabricator-training.