Ten students recently completed the second session of the Fast Track Welding course at Paul D. Camp Community College, which is sponsored by a $10,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

The new initiative is targeted toward unemployed people to help them quickly acquire the necessary skills to jump-start a career in welding. The program provides not only hands-on training but also job shadowing and job placement support.

The job-training opportunity comes at an important time, according to a press release from the college. In the Hampton Roads region, there are currently more than 4,900 welders earning an average annual salary of $42,200. During the next three years, a total of 467 new welding hires are expected, including both replacements and new growth.

In addition, according to the American Welding Society, by 2020 there will be a shortage of 290,000 professionals in the trade, including inspectors, engineers and teachers.

“Supporting nonprofit organizations that connect residents to jobs, skills development and education is a priority for Bank of America,” said Charlie Henderson, Hampton Roads market president for Bank of America. “The Fast Track Welding Program is a unique opportunity to help the long-term unemployed of Hampton Roads learn a marketable skill in an industry where there’s a great need.”

The most recent session lasted less than a month. The students were Andrew Randolph, Darwin DaCosta, Brandon Card, Aaron Williams, Marcus Henry, Dustin Everett, Chandra Tucker, Alice Widmeyer-Ellison, Khailfani Elliott and Maurice Warren.