The local high school has technical programs so they should cover welding. I guess I'll talk to my buddy who works in that sector.
I learned Ac/Ox welding as a kid and I've used a stick welder a few times with poor to lousy results. The little welder I bought the other week is terrible. Or I'm a terrible welder because it's REALLY difficult to get the arc going and since it only has three or four current settings adjusting it is difficult, too. I tried welding together a grille for the barbecue the other day but I ended up burning big holes and leaving boogers all over.