LAKE CITY, Fla. – Florida Gateway College has been awarded a grant in the amount of $1,005,769 under the Florida Department of Education’s Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Program. The funds will be used to upgrade and expand the college’s Welding Technology instructional facilities, significantly increasing the student capacity of the programs and preparing even more graduates for rewarding careers in a high-demand industry.

“We are grateful for the support and opportunity to provide an even broader scope of modern workforce training to our students in a fantastic learning environment,” said Kris Brady, FGC Dean of Workforce, Career & Technical Education. “These funds will allow us not just to expand our already successful program, but to bring a unique vision forward, embracing enhanced lab spaces, new equipment, and virtual reality training as well.”

The project will see the relocation of the welding facility to a larger site on FGC’s campus, nearly doubling the program’s footprint and equipping 40 new state-of-the-art welding booths for instruction and hands-on training in two Occupational Certificate programs – Welding Technology and Advanced Welding Technology. The renovation project will add a brand-new exhaust and ventilation system, a virtual reality lab, upgrade classroom technology, and expand program offerings. New instructional tools and technology will allow the college to offer Cobot Robotic Welding training and Submerged Arc Welding training, as well as the development of a new program focused on aluminum welding and fabrication.

Planning stages are currently underway for the facility renovations, with project completion anticipated for the Fall 2026 term.

FGC is a Lincoln Electric Education Partner School (LEEPS) and an NC3 Leadership School training students on state-of-the-art technology. Graduates of the FGC Welding Technology programs are well-positioned to find employment in an industry that is in high demand and growing in the region and throughout the State of Florida.

For more information on FGC’s Welding programs, visit www.fgc.edu/welding.