NAMPA, Idaho — A Canyon County manufacturer is working with the College of Western Idaho to train current employees for more specialized welding work.
Mission Critical Group, formerly known locally as JTS, designs and manufactures modular power and electrical infrastructure at its facilities in Nampa and Caldwell. Its products support data centers, hospitals, manufacturers, and other facilities that need reliable power systems.
MCG Senior Manager of Workforce Development and Educational Partnerships Matt Thomeson said the company has employees in several departments who already have some welding experience but need additional training to meet its production, quality and safety standards.
“This presented an opportunity to provide them career growth as well as skills growth in welding,” Thomeson said.
WATCH | How a Canyon County manufacturer and CWI built a welding program around local workforce needs
MCG approached CWI in January and worked with supervisors to identify the skills employees would need. The company then provided weld-quality standards and other documents that CWI used to help develop the curriculum.
“We explored with the supervisors what type of training was needed... and then worked with them on the curriculum,” Thomeson said.
The pilot includes three cohorts of 12 employees. Each group receives 30 hours of instruction at CWI over three weeks before returning to MCG for additional on-the-job training.
Thomeson said the instruction is customized to MCG’s production standards, but the welding skills employees learn can also be used elsewhere.
“There’s a lot of transferable skill set within the welding... however, it’s customized to our production standards,” Thomeson said.
The program comes as demand for welding workers continues to grow in southwest Idaho.
Idaho Department of Labor economist Knox Freedman said Ada and Canyon counties have approximately 1,372 welding-related jobs, according to Lightcast data. Demand grew 10% from 2020 through 2025 and is projected to grow another 7% through 2030.
Sixty local employers posted 178 welding openings during the past year. Those postings remained open for a median of 21 days.
Average annual wages are approximately $50,662, with local wages generally ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 depending on the position and experience. Plasma cutting, structural welding, arc welding and oxy-fuel welding and cutting are among the most frequently requested skills.
Idaho Workforce Development Council Director of Workforce Engagement Jan Whiting said programs developed directly with employers can respond more quickly to changing workforce needs.
“Partnerships like this demonstrate what’s possible when employers and education providers work together to create responsive, industry-driven training,” Whiting said. “They not only help businesses build the workforce they need today, but also create new opportunities for Idahoans to enter rewarding, in-demand careers.”
MCG will evaluate the results of the three pilot groups as employees continue their training inside the company’s facilities.
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