Merrill Institute provides project-focused welding training inside an operating manufacturing environment in Alma, Michigan. Its 484-hour AWS Level I SENSE Welder program spans 12 weeks and devotes about 85 percent of training time to welding labs. Students train in Stick, MIG, TIG and Flux-Core welding as well as manual and mechanized oxyfuel cutting, plasma cutting and air-carbon-arc cutting. The school also publishes 244-hour partial AWS certification programs focused separately on Stick, MIG, Flux-Core and TIG welding, and operates as an AWS Accredited Test Facility.