Marine Welding Training Program Grows Skilled Workforce

Armstrong Marine manufactures custom-designed aluminum boats. Based in Port Angeles, Washington, the company has around 50 employees.

Located in the north Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, Armstrong Marine had difficulty hiring qualified marine aluminum welders to support its growth. Fortunately, the Washington State Department of Commerce offered a grant to the company to set up and operate a marine aluminum welding training program. Impact Washington, part of the MEP National Network™, had previously assisted Armstrong Marine with ISO 9000 certification and some Lean training, and the WA Department of Commerce asked the organization to manage and administer the training program.

Impact Washington enlisted the support of Peninsula College to develop a curriculum and provide training facilities to augment the on-the-job training at Armstrong Machine. The college added marine aluminum welding training to its curriculum and enlisted over 15 students in the first class. An Impact Washington project manager worked closely with Peninsula College, the Department of Commerce, and other parties to organize and execute the project for Armstrong Marine. The training program standardized work processes and helped the company build capacity with new and existing employees. Armstrong Marine saw an uptick in sales and looks forward to growing its skilled workforce through ongoing training.