Yes. All credentials are nationally recognized and accredited by the top manufacturing institutes in the United States. Click here to view the credentials our students can earn.

We teach 16-week accelerated semesters in both machining and welding where students earn portable and stackable credentials. The average number of credentials earned in one semester per student is four, but they can earn up to 15.

Although we would like to accept every eligible veteran, wounded warrior, or transitioning service member, Workshops for Warriors is limited to accepting 50-60 students per 16-week semester.

Veterans, wounded warrior, or transitioning service members can apply if they meet the following requirements:

1. Active duty personnel must meet all requirements under the DoD Skills Bridge Program and obtain command approval.
2. Veterans must have an Honorable Discharge.
3. Must be able to commit to attending classes in our San Diego location five days a week for a 16-week program.
4. Must sign a statement confirming that they understand our attendance policy. Three tardies equal one absence and five absences will result in immediate dismissal from our program.

It costs $25,000 to train one student per semester in Machining for Warriors and $25,040 one student per semester in Welding for Warriors. The students train on over $6 million worth of the latest technology equipment with the best instructors in America. This results in a job-ready graduate eager to integrate into America’s advanced manufacturing workforce.

That seems like a lot, why?

Quality costs money. Our instructors are nationally recognized masters of their craft who are highly sought after. Our machines are costly to maintain, repair, and keeping running each and every day. Our program costs are approximately $375,000 per month because of the electricity it takes to run the equipment. Despite the fact that we keep overhead costs low with 85% of funds going straight to student programs.

Our graduating classes have continued to grow each semester. Currently, we are limited to accepting between 50-60 full time students, graduating an estimated 162 students per year.

While funding is our biggest issue, we understand that not all employers are able to donate the $25,000 it costs to train one student. However, any donation, whether that be $20, $30, or $100, makes a big difference to the school. We do ask that our employers help offset the training with a recurring donation. 

We agree! Workshops for Warriors became GI Bill^® eligible in April 2018. This allows students to focus full-time on earning the credentials and skills they need to be competitive in the workforce. In addition, it gives them a housing allowance that makes it possible to attend school full time, as well as make sure that the school is self-sustaining.

GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Since 2008 we have never had a complaint about a Workshops for Warriors graduate not working out. We are confident that all of our graduates leave our programs trained with the skills and work ethic they need to be successful, but if for some reason the hire does not work out we urge you to talk with our Chief Academic Officer to discuss what went wrong. This will allow us to improve our student selection process and improve our student preparations for their civilian careers.

Our students are not ready for full-time employment until they complete the Workshops for Warriors semester. This is a WFW policy because we want to ensure that all of our graduates complete their training and receive all of their credentials, which enable them to be fully prepared for a job worldwide in advanced manufacturing.

Some of our students are also active duty (transitioning out of the military within six months), which can delay their civilian employment timelines by up to four months.

Absolutely. 90% of our graduates are willing to relocate. To be put in touch with graduates and students that fit your position and your company, email Keshia Javis-Jones, WFW Director of Operations, at keshia@wfw.org.

While some of our students do have direct experience in welding and manufacturing from their time in the military, we urge employers to consider time spend serving in the military as a substitute for prior experience. According to The Manufacturing Institute, they have matched 11 key manufacturing occupations with military specialties, so if you require years of experience or a certain degree, military training and experience could be a substitute.

All interviews are set up by our Admissions Staff, so we make sure there is a good fit for everyone involved. If your company has quality, high-paying jobs, there is no limit to the number of graduates you can hire.

A great way to learn more about our programs is to check out a breakdown of the credentials our alumni have earned. We have a real-time counter that shows the number of credentials earned, and then clickable links that show which specific credentials were earned in any given category. You can check out these numbers here.

Absolutely! Donors have the option to come and speak to students directly about their company. Please let us know if you are interested and we will coordinate this opportunity with you.