Alumni Spotlight: Rocco Malarbi

For 2018 graduate Rocco Malarbi, enrolling in Penn Commercial’s Welding Technology program was a game changer.  Rocco’s career started in the oil and gas industry, working on gas wells throughout the region.  He soon made moves toward pipeline work and realized that welding was a more lucrative career path to pursue.

“I just decided that what I was doing wasn’t for me.  So I made the choice to come to Penn Commercial,” says Rocco.

Enrolling in the welding training program gave Rocco many more job opportunities in the fabrication, construction, and oil and gas industries because of the many certifications he was able to attain during his education.  The various welding tests offered during the program make sure graduates leave school with the knowledge, skills and safety understanding to work in a multitude of positions.  Students in the Welding Technology program are tested in five areas: (ASME IX 6G), stick plate (SMAW AWS D1.1 3G and 4G), MIG olate (GWAW AWS D1.1 3G and 4G), stick plate (API 1104 6G) and flux core plate (FCAW AWS D1.1 3G and 4G).

“When I saw that they offered those here, that was a big reason as to why I also chose Penn Commercial.”

Even as a young kid, Rocco had a passion for fabrication and working with metals.

“I had always been interested in fabrication through the automotive side of things whenever I was younger,” says Rocco.  “I got into cars at a young age.”

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Working with his hands and creating things also drew Rocco toward welding.

“Specifically about welding what I enjoy is I kinda look at it like an art form.  There’s something about taking two things, or taking nothing, and putting a bunch of pieces together and making something from it.”

He credits the many aspects to his coursework for giving him the best training for his career as a welder.

“Some of the things that I learned while I was in school were basic welding techniques, and we got into some advanced stuff.  How to use a cutting lathe, oxy acetyline welding, which I’ve never done before, machine setup, heat ranges, blueprint reading, mathematics, back purge… there’s quite a few things that we got into in the book and in the classroom that I really enjoyed.”

Rocco also credits the experience and one-on-one teaching by the instructors at Penn Commercial as an integral part in helping him learn welding.

“All the instructors were really hands-on, which really helped.  That really pushed us through the program and showed us what we needed to learn.”

After graduation, Rocco started his career as a welder at Job Fab, Inc.  He is currently working as a welder at Sippel Steel Fab, Inc. in Ambridge, PA.

For more information about the Welding Technology Program at Penn Commercial, please visit our page. We also welcome you to tour our state-of-the-art facilities and workshop to show you how our welding tech training program can get you on a brighter career path!