Vale High School shares a look at their welding program
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
VALE — The Vale School District is shining a light on their welding program and teacher Jim Schaffeld. Read the full press release below:
(Press Release from Vale School District)
Veteran Vale School District teacher Jim Schaffeld is no stranger to welding, but he is new to teaching Vale High School’s Agricultural Career and Technical Education (CTE) welding class.
That’s just fine with Schaffeld, though. A longtime welder himself, Schaffeld said his first year as the welding instructor proved to be rewarding.
Schaffeld – who also helps coach the Vale High School varsity football team and runs the school’s robotics program – said he believes the welding program gives students a solid foundation for future success. “They are better prepared after this class to go off to a trade school,” he said.
Schaffeld instructs 45 welding students – including 33 in the introductory welding class and 12 in the Ag Engineering class 2 – and said he hopes to offer more advanced classes “in the coming years.”
The class is also an important piece of the school district’s overall strategy to allow students to earn industry-recognized certifications during high school. During the 2023-2024 school year, 38 Vale High School students earned 95 industry-recognized certifications through CTE classes.
The welding program isn’t yet to a place where it can position students to secure industry-recognized certifications, but that time will come, said Schaffeld.
Schaffeld said a big part of the program is the focus on familiarizing students with welding. “To help them understand how the process works,” he said. That means students need to acquire a lot of hands-on experience, which Schaffeld’s class provides.
Schaffeld’s students mostly do stick – or Arc welding – which uses a “stick” electrode welding rod. The key, he said, is students come to class and “burn a lot of rod,” to learn the skill.
Students can build on their stick welding abilities to learn other forms of the craft in the future such as TIG or Mig welding. TIG welding is a more advanced type of skill. Mig welding uses an expendable wire electrode to meld two pieces of metal together. “If you can do stick welding you can do mig, so it is a really good foundation,” said Schaffeld.
Right now, Schaffeld said he has one student who TIG welds. He said his class will offer TIG welding on a larger scale in the future.
Now, Schaffeld’s welding facility at the high school consists of 10 welding booths, and he said he hopes to one day be able to do more outside projects for community members. “We need the skills to learn to do the projects,” he said.
The class – which is open to all Vale High School students – is popular, said Schaffeld.
He said students who come to the class “want to be here and want to get better.” “Everyone has an opportunity, and they are improving every day,” said Schaffeld.
Vale High School junior Frank Hackler said he enjoys the class. “This is a career I want to get into,” he said.
Schaffeld said the opportunities for those who become welders are wide open because the skill is needed across a wide swath of different industries such as construction, manufacturing and aerospace.
Schaffeld said he learned at a conference last summer the U.S. Navy is in need of 80,000 welders. “And you don’t have to join the Navy to work for it,” he said.
With hands-on experience, growing opportunities, and a strong foundation in welding, Vale High School students are forging a path toward bright futures in high-demand industries.
**Photo from Vale School District**
