Welding classes in Ottawa

10 welding programs with results and funding that can make them free

1 school offers these welding programs with classes in the Ottawa area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices.

Welders join and cut metal parts with hand-held or remotely controlled equipment. Most have a high school diploma plus technical training, and some employers ask for a certification for particular jobs.¹ In Ottawa, 4 of the 10 programs take students without a high school diploma, and 4 are taught partly or fully online.

See the 10 programs

All 128 welding programs in Illinois, including online programs

How much do welding classes cost in Ottawa?

Not reported

Illinois files no usable prices, so none can be shown.

Finished the program: Not reported
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported
Length: 32 to 62 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Ottawa may also offer welding classes. How these figures are made

Are there free welding classes in Ottawa?

Yes, if you qualify. Workforce funding can pay for any program on this page.²³
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁴
Or pay yourself. Usable prices are not reported for these programs.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 10 welding programs in Ottawa approved for funding

10 programs

Single welding processIn personNo diploma needed
GMAW Basic Welding Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
No diploma needed
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Single welding process · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$48,500
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, GMAW Basic Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about GMAW Basic Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
81%
Earned in a quarter
$12,137
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
69
a year, estimated
$48,500
price
Not reported
Single welding processHybridNo diploma needed
GMAW Intermediate Welding Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
No diploma needed
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Single welding process · Hybrid · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$48,500
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, GMAW Intermediate Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about GMAW Intermediate Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
81%
Earned in a quarter
$12,137
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
69
a year, estimated
$48,500
price
Not reported
Welding (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Welding Construction AAS
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Welding (associate degree) · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$48,500
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, Welding Construction AAS at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about Welding Construction AAS at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
81%
Earned in a quarter
$12,137
Length
72 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
69
a year, estimated
$48,500
price
Not reported
Single welding processIn personNo diploma needed
GTAW Welding Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
No diploma needed
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Single welding process · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, GTAW Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about GTAW Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
General weldingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
OAW Welding Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · General welding · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
School website, OAW Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about OAW Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
16 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
Single welding processHybridNo diploma needed
SMAW Basic Welding Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
No diploma needed
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Single welding process · Hybrid · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, SMAW Basic Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about SMAW Basic Welding Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
General weldingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Welding Advanced Construction Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · General welding · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, Welding Advanced Construction Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about Welding Advanced Construction Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
80 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
General weldingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Welding Basic Construction Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · General welding · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, Welding Basic Construction Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about Welding Basic Construction Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
Welding (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Welding Production AAS
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · Welding (associate degree) · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, Welding Production AAS at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about Welding Production AAS at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
72 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported
General weldingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Welding Production Certificate
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
High school diploma or equivalent
Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby · General welding · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
Program website, Welding Production Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
More details about Welding Production Certificate at Illinois Valley Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
Not reported

How to pay for welding classes in Ottawa

Workforce funding can pay for welding classes in Ottawa

Every program on this page is approved for public workforce funding, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁴

Financial aid and grants for welding classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁵⁶

GI Bill for welding classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁷

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Where the Ottawa welding program numbers come from

Which Ottawa welding programs are on this list?

These are the welding programs with classes in the Ottawa area that are approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). The list covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Online programs are left out here; they are on the Illinois page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How Ottawa welding program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some welding programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

How reliable are the Illinois figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".⁸ We leave out the share who finished for Illinois: only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%. We leave out prices for Illinois: the state files a code in place of each price, so no price can be shown.

Sources for the facts about welding classes in Ottawa

Show the 8 sourcesHide the sources

Welding classes in Ottawa

How much do welding classes cost in Ottawa?

Are there free welding classes in Ottawa?

All 10 welding programs in Ottawa approved for funding

GMAW Basic Welding Certificate

GMAW Intermediate Welding Certificate

Welding Construction AAS

GTAW Welding Certificate

OAW Welding Certificate

SMAW Basic Welding Certificate

Welding Advanced Construction Certificate

Welding Basic Construction Certificate

Welding Production AAS

Welding Production Certificate