OGDEN — Ogden-Weber Technical College has opened a new building in an effort to serve the growing industry need for skilled workers.

With a $6.5 million legislative appropriation, the school was able to renovate a 43,000-square-foot bay in the Business Depot Ogden. The new space houses the composites program and the nondestructive inspection program.

The goal is to give students adequate space to learn and broaden the pipeline to employment, Roger Snow, vice president of Instructional Services, said

Snow said Hill Air Force Base is the biggest employer of composites and NDI technicians but there are roughly 25 companies in Northern Utah who are also looking for qualified job candidates.

“They’re looking for creative problem-solvers,” Snow said. “The technology in these areas is advancing so rapidly so the technicians need to be able to think on their feet.”

In the new space, composites students have a large storage room as well as a high-powered oven to bake composites under pressure. There are specific, sealed-off areas for spray-painting and sanding that are pressurized to suck particulates out of the room or into downdraft tables. Read More…..