December 18, 2023 – Moran Iron Works and the Industrial Arts Institute opened their doors to 24 Wolverine High School students for a talent tour coordinated by Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium.
The day began at Moran Iron Works with a brief safety lesson and video on some of the larger projects has completed. Once students were equipped with safety glasses they were split into two groups to tour the facility. Throughout the tour students asked interesting questions about what they were observing as they walked through production areas, painting areas, project management, and the rest of the shop floor. Students were exposed to a variety of the work done at Moran Iron Works, from projects just getting started to those near completion.
Following the tour, students traveled to the Industrial Arts Institute to learn about the comprehensive welding school. After hearing about how the program works, what the expectations are, the cost, financing options and more, students entered the lab where they were able to view equipment and the welding bays, as well as look in on some corporate training that was going on in the lab.
Students enjoyed seeing all the different equipment in use and were impressed by some of the more artistic projects done at Industrial Arts Institute.
Throughout the course of the tours, students realized that there are more than one type of welding, they learned about welding as a career, and were surprised at how big in scale some of the projects done at Moran Iron Works are. They also learned that welding requires on-going education to complete certifications, and that while it takes skill to lay a bead, welding can also be a complex form of art.