A mine repair shop has donated $42,000 to support three associate degree scholarships for welding students at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.

Ronnie and Diana Barnett of Mining Repair Specialists recently donated the money to the Southern Foundation to fund the scholarships, according to a news release from the Community and Technical College.

Each scholarship will sponsor a student from Boone, a student from Logan and a student from Chapmanville for the next two years.

The welding technology program at Southern prepares graduates to enter the field. The news release said the welding technology program gives students the foundation they need to obtain American Welding Society certification in such areas as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding and flux-core arc welding.

Skills sets in pipe welding, welding in mining, and plant maintenance are available.

The full welding technology program is available on the Williamson campus. The Boone/Lincoln, Logan, and Wyoming/McDowell campuses offer the general education/program support courses only.

Anyone who is interested in applying for the scholarships, may contact Rita Roberson, chief development officer on the Logan campus, at 304-896-7425 or rita.roberson@southernwv.edu.

More information about the program is available here.