College of the Canyons students enrolled in the Fast Track Institute are having fun with metal sculpting while preparing for job placement in the manufacturing industry.

With the all-new Fast Track Metal Sculpting course, students have an exciting opportunity for exposure to basic welding, fabrication and metal sculpturing skills.

Those enrolling in the course will work on a handful of exciting new projects, the most notable of which being the construction of a permanent sculpture for placement near the Valencia Campus Student Center.

“People often think of the Fast Track Institute as a place where you get trained for employment, but with this class there’s an element of personal enrichment as well,” said John Milburn, Director of the COC Employee Training Institute.

Leading the course is Idelle Tyzbir, a well-known metal sculptor in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Tyzbir’s work includes the “Crossroads” steel sculpture at the Iron Horse Trailhead. Commissioned by Newhall Land, the 15-foot-high and 1,200-pound sculpture sits on the bike paths adjacent to the old train trestle off of Magic Mountain Parkway.

“There’s a real skill-building element here,” Milburn said. “Our instructor earns income from her sculpting. In that, there’s definitely a job component — how does versatility not play a role in your employability?”

“It’s an indescribable feeling to be a part of something permanent like that,” Tyzbir said.

While the course supplements COC students on the welding track, no previous experience is required to enroll.

Students interested in Fast Track Metal Sculpturing course should act fast, as the class has a maximum enrollment of 15 students.

The class begins Feb. 10, and will meet every Tuesday from 5 to 10 p.m. in the college’s metal fabrication lab located in Towsley Hall.

Course tuition is $295 per student, which includes use of all supplies, personal protection equipment and tools used in the course.

For more information regarding the College of the Canyons Fast Track Institute’s Metal Sculpturing course please visit the website or call Sherie Arnold at (661) 362-5657 for registration.