Everything you need to decide.
What you’ll learn, the schedules, what it costs, how people pay and how to start, all in one place. Take your time with it. When you’re ready, apply or request a tour.
Structural welding, start to finish.
240 hours of hands-on training to the AWS D1.1 Structural Steel code, most of it in your own booth. You test for up to 8 certifications in GMAW (wire) and SMAW (stick), flat through overhead.
- 240 hours of hands-on training, about 90% in the shop
- Up to 8 AWS D1.1 certification tests: GMAW (wire) and SMAW (stick), 1G–4G
- Time left over? You may get to try other processes, like flux core and TIG
- A small student-to-instructor ratio
- Safety, blueprint reading and work ethic built in
- Guest speakers and industry tours
- Full-time 8–4:30, or part-time mornings or afternoons
- No GED or diploma needed. Start any week of the year.
Full-time or part-time.
No set start dates: you start the Monday after a booth opens and your paperwork is in.
Full-time
Monday to Friday. The fastest way into the field.
Part-time mornings
Train in the morning, keep your afternoon job.
Part-time afternoons
Keep your morning job, weld in the afternoon.
What it costs and how people pay.
Most students pay with one of the options below, and we help you line it up. Students buy their own tools from our tool list.
- Tuition: all 240 hours and 8 certification tests
- $8,500
Tools: students buy their own from our tool list, about $350 at A&B Welding Supply in Rapid City, or on your own. They aren’t part of tuition, and GPWA doesn’t bill for them.
Payment is due on your first day, unless VA, WIOA or another funding source is paying.
VA / GI Bill®
Approved for GI Bill® training by the South Dakota State Approving Agency. If you’re eligible, VA education benefits can cover your training, and we’ll guide you through the process. You won’t be charged late fees or kept out of class while VA’s payment is on the way.
VA education benefits (opens in a new tab)SD Dept. of Labor
GPWA is an approved training provider on South Dakota’s WIOA Eligible Training Provider List. For people who qualify, WIOA can cover a large part of tuition (up to the amount DLR approves). We work with your caseworker directly.
About WIOA (opens in a new tab)NFJP South Dakota
The National Farmworker Jobs Program helps people who’ve worked on a farm or ranch in the last two years (and their families) pay for training. Some of our students have used it. It’s run in South Dakota by Black Hills Special Services Cooperative.
NFJP South Dakota (opens in a new tab)Climb Credit
Prefer to pay over time? We’ve partnered with Climb Credit: a quick online application (about 5 minutes) and a soft credit pull to get started.
Apply with Climb Credit (opens in a new tab)529 plans
Some students use a 529 plan or another education savings account to cover tuition. We’ll send your plan the invoice or receipt it asks for.
Bank loan
Private lenders like First Interstate Bank offer training loans to people who qualify. We give your bank whatever paperwork it needs.
Pay direct
A $2,000 deposit holds your start date and booth. The rest is due on your first day. VA, WIOA or another funding source? That’s lined up before you start.
Getting started.
- 01
Apply on your phone
It takes about 10 minutes. No welding experience, GED or diploma needed.
- 02
Line up how you’ll pay
We help with WIOA, the GI Bill®, Climb Credit or a loan, and send your paperwork to sign on your phone.
- 03
Pick your start date
Start the Monday after a booth opens. A deposit holds your spot.
- 04
Start in your booth
Safety first, then you’re welding from day one.
Questions people ask.
Nope. You don’t need a GED or diploma to attend. If you plan to train while you’re still in high school, we recommend you be at least 16, with a parent’s consent.
No. You start with safety and the basics, then build up to certification tests module by module.
240 hours. Full-time is about 7 weeks, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Part-time is about 13 weeks, mornings (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM) or afternoons (12:30 PM – 4:30 PM). That includes a 5-day buffer, so a sick day or a holiday doesn’t throw you off.
We don’t have set start dates. If a booth slot is open, it’s yours: once your paperwork is in, you can start the following week. We train year-round.
Tuition is $8,500 for the 240-hour program, which covers your certification tests. The only other cost is your tools and gear: the tool list is about $350. You can buy it from A&B Welding Supply in Rapid City, or buy the tools on your own.
We recommend students be at least 16. If you’re under 18, you’ll need a parent or guardian’s consent.
Want to see the shop?
Tours are one-on-one with Brianna and Tommy and take about an hour, so we set them up for people who are getting close to starting. Request one with a few quick questions and the times that work for you.