11 schools awarded Welding Workforce Grants to enhance their welding education programs

The American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation is dedicated to increasing the welding workforce by providing grant funding to secondary, post-secondary, and welder training facilities that are working to enhance and improve their welding education programs. Grant funding of up to $25,000 per location is awarded to make improvements, invest in capital items such as welding or metalworking equipment, or purchase/upgrade computers or computer-based training systems.

The following schools were recently awarded the Welding Workforce Grant:

• Central Nine Career Center – Greenwood, Indiana
• Centro de Innovacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Soldadura – CIDTS - Santa Catarina - Nuevo Leon, Mexico
• City College at Montana State University Billings - Billings, Montana
• Florida Carpenters Training Trust Fund – Tampa, Florida
• John Hersey High School – Arlington Heights, Illinois
• Jones County Junior College – Ellisville, Mississippi
• Missouri State University – West Plains - West Plains, Missouri
• Northern Westmoreland CTC – New Kensington, Pennsylvania
• Rappahannock Community College – Warsaw, Virginia
• South Fort Myers High School – Fort Myers, Florida
• WorkForce Innovators of America – Athens, Georgia

“We applaud the dedication these eleven locations have demonstrated in expanding their welding education programs and facilities,” said Monica Pfarr, executive direction of the AWS Foundation. “Their commitment to the welding industry and cultivating the next generation of welding technicians and professionals through education is inspiring.”

Welding is among the essential skilled trades that impact everyday life, yet the number of skilled welding technicians and professionals continues to decrease. The American Welding Society through the AWS Foundation supports programs to ensure growth and development of the welding industry through research and educational opportunities. In 2021, the AWS Foundation awarded more than $2.2 million in grants and scholarships to support welding education.