Never Ark welding Academy
During my time as both a student in the 2023 class and later as a teacher until my resignation in 2026, I noticed several concerning patterns. The school had roughly a 50/50 pass-to-fail ratio, and many students were disappointed when promised job opportunities after passing all four tests never materialized. Students also often waited months to receive their certifications, which can hurt job prospects in the welding industry. In my experience, the program lacked many essential skills employers expect, including blueprint reading, metal fabrication, temperature adjustment, shop math, measuring, and metallurgy. These are standard skills taught at many other welding schools and are necessary for securing higher-paying welding jobs.
Another major concern was the academy’s hiring practices and learning environment. The owner frequently hired students immediately after testing, paid them very little, and placed them into teaching roles without proper training or experience, creating a “blind leading the blind” atmosphere. There were many missed opportunities to improve the program through more hands-on projects and real-world skill development. It was also troubling to see students leave abruptly after paying in full, sometimes even abandoning expensive equipment behind. Combined with the owner’s emotional outbursts and false claims when upset, these experiences left me feeling that the school prioritized profit over providing students with a quality education and the support they were promised.
I just couldn’t in good faith resign without leaving an honest review and hope this helps someone considering this as an option find clarity.