Central Arizona College Welding Instructors Receive American Welding Society Awards
By Angela Askey, Executive Director Public Relations and Marketing
Central Arizona College welding professors, Jordan Porterfield and Ken Smith were both awarded the American Welding Society (AWS) Arizona Section Educator Award for 2023. The award is dedicated to members within district 21, section 55 and recognizes their quality instructional performance in helping students expand their welding skills and knowledge.
Both Porterfield and Smith were nominated by other AWS members based on their contributions to the welding industry.
“This is very exciting news and shows the dedication and commitment they bring to our welding program,” stated Andrew Clegg, CAC Executive Director of Career and Workforce Training.
Porterfield started welding in high school and was involved in helping his family weld and fabricate ornamental iron gates and fences, and repair equipment. During his sophomore year he left high school to attend college full-time, pursuing a degree in welding technology. He received an associate degree in welding technology at the age of 18 and began work immediately following in the structural welding industry.
During college, Porterfield worked for Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute where he was able to perfect his welding and fabrication skills on stainless steel for the medical industry. Throughout his career he has worked for many companies such as Schuff Steel, one of the largest structural steel fabricators and erectors in the United States and Bell Steel, a smaller family owned and operated business. He has held various positions during his career including helper, certified welder/fabricator, machine operator, heavy equipment/crane operator, welding foreman, welding inspector, QC manager, small business owner, consultant, specialty welding repair and now welding educator.
Porterfield began working for CAC as an adjunct welding professor in 2017 and became full time in 2019. He stated, “I never thought I would be teaching as I was heavily involved in the structural industry, but I had a buddy that kept telling me I was great at teaching new welders and since I had many industry certifications and a welding degree that I should apply to the welding department at CAC. Now I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is very rewarding to be able to pass on my knowledge and industry experience to students. Helping them jump start their careers, seeing their success and the opportunities they have for career options is very rewarding.”
Smith has been teaching welding technology at CAC as a full-time professor since Fall 2015. He also worked the prior two years as an adjunct faculty member, teaching welding courses in the evenings and on Fridays. Throughout his time at CAC, he has been instrumental in developing the Pipe Welding/Pipefitting program.
While working part-time at CAC, Smith was employed full-time with the City of Mesa Energy Resources Division where he performed field inspections and testing on Mesa’s Natural Gas Pipeline system. He started as a welder in the natural gas division and was later promoted to a Gas Cathodic Protection Technician. Additionally, he was operating his own contract welding business, performing field welding and fabrication as a self-employed rig welder.
Smith began welding in high school, operating tractors and equipment for several of the local farmers in the Gilbert, AZ area. It was during this time that he learned the basics of welding and fabrication from those older than him. Although they may not have had a lot of formal training, they had a lifetime of experience and lessons that they shared.
Smith stated, “I think what really stuck with me was how we could take a piece of equipment that was completely broken or damaged and we could rebuild it into something stronger and more durable than it was before. That amazed me and I enjoyed the process. I learned about different metals, how heat and fatigue can affect the strength of a structure. Some of those early lessons are very simple, but the concepts have proven true time and time again throughout my career.”
Following high school, Smith worked for Vermeer Sales Southwest as the lead welder for their Arizona location. At age 25, he started his own contract welding business as a mobile field welder. Smith gained experience working in a variety of jobs and industries such as heavy equipment, meat packing plants, construction sites, mining operations, structural steel construction, underground pipelines, power generation plants, water treatment facilities, process and refinery piping, tanks, vessels, boats and vehicles. He also dabbled in ornamental iron design, building gates, doors, railings, fences and sculptures along with a bit of blacksmithing. In 2005, Smith shifted his focus to pipeline work, completing a few stints on power plant outage projects and performing underground pipeline welding for carbon steel pipeline projects.
Smith is an AWS CWI (Certified Welding Inspector) and an AWS CWE (Certified Welding Educator). During the summer, he continues to participate in various field and structural steel fabrication projects, conducting quality assurance and welding inspections. He continues to build, fabricate and weld side projects at his home shop.
When reflecting on his time as a professor, Smith stated, “Welding and fabrication have been my passion for most of my life. It has been and continues to be a great feeling to be a part of building things that our world needs. I enjoy sharing my skills and knowledge with students who will become a part of the new workforce. It is about sharing experiences and lessons learned. The best part for me is that I keep learning too.”
Porterfield and Smith both strive to propel CAC to become the number one community college welding program in the United States. Students gain experience and exposure to an industry that has one of the highest demands using the newest equipment and latest technology available in the industry. As professors it is their goal to train the next generation to help fill a growing industry need.
Porterfield commented about the growing need for welding industry professionals stating, “We can place our students 100% of the time with a job if they want one and are motivated in the industry.” He added, “As an industry, we are short 90,000 new welders every year leading to over 360,000 new welding professionals needed by 2027. https://weldingworkforcedata.com/.”
About AWS
Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society is a nonprofit organization with a global mission: to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying. By fostering knowledge, embracing change, and providing real-world opportunities through scholarships, fellowships, and workforce development, AWS provides the tools to help members succeed—and to inspire future generations of welding professionals.