When Ivey Mabe is not busy playing with his new puppies or watching UFC, he is busy welding projects for Preformed Lined Products (PLP). Ivey graduated from Stanly Community College (SCC)
in 2016 with a Welding Diploma. He started preparing for his welding career when he was at Albemarle High School. He explained his woodshop teacher inspired him to pursue welding. “My high school woodshop teacher referred me to our counselors who gave me information on the Career and College Promise pathways at SCC. I started taking my basic welding courses while I was still a senior in high school,” said Ivey.
The Career and College Promise (CCP) program is a statewide program that allows high school junior and senior students (with a GPA of 3.0 or higher) to take tuition-free college courses. The goal is to better prepare students for entering college or a career at a lower cost.
Ivey is currently a welder/metal fabricator at the PLP Albemarle Division and spends most of his working hours welding and fabricating structures for solar panel systems and accessories. “I love what I do! I can’t believe I’ve been able to accomplish so much so soon,” said Ivey, who recently purchased his first home and dream car at the age of 22. “I want potential students to know if they buckle down, don’t give up, and learn as much as they can, hard work pays off!”
William Beaver, Program Head, Welding Technology Programs at Stanly CC, noted, “Ivey is a prime example of how success begins in high school. Stanly County School counselors are great about working with their students on CCP pathways. Ivey has made great strides in the welding program over the last two years. It is success stories like this that keep us going.”
Kristy Huneycutt, Human Resource Manager, Preformed Line Products, stated, “We are fortunate to have been able to utilize our relationship with Stanly Community College to find qualified applicants. Ivey Mabe has been a wonderful hire for Preformed Line Products and we appreciate SCC referring him for employment.”
Preformed Line Products is headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, and is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and supplier of high quality cable anchoring and control hardware and systems, fiber optic and copper splice closures, and high-speed cross-connect devices.
According to EMSI Data (www.economicmodeling.com, the occupational summary for welders earn a medium hourly income of $19.75; and jobs are projected to grow to 3,790 by the year 2023 in the Charlotte region.
For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing, Industry, Technology and Trade programs at
Stanly Community College, contact Garrett Allen at (704) 991-0169 or visit the College’s website at www.stanly.edu.
