The American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation aims to address the declining number of welding professionals by supporting education and workforce development in the welding industry. The foundation is providing financial assistance to educational institutions to train skilled welders for the growing manufacturing and construction industries, offering grants up to $25,000 per location for their welding education programs. The funding may be used on facility improvements, investing in welding or metalworking equipment and upgrading computer-based training systems.
The foundation announced in a press release that 14 schools across the country have been selected to receive these grants, which will help them elevate their training facilities and better equip students for the demands of the welding industry. Recipient schools include:
- Bristol Technical Education Center, Bristol, Conn.
- Capital Area Career Center, Springfield, Ill.
- Carrollton Area Career Center, Carrollton, Mo.
- Central Arizona College, Coolidge, Ariz.
- El Capitan High School, Merced, Calif.
- Indiana County Technology Center, Indiana, Pa.
- Lawrence, Nelson Community Schools, Nelson, Neb.
- Maple Mountain High School, Spanish Fork, Utah
- Milton High School, Milton, Wis.
- Rimrock Jr./Sr. High School, Bruneau, Idaho
- Santa Fe Independent School District, Santa Fe, Tex.
- The MILL National Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Tidioute Community Charter School, Tidioute, Pa.
- Tourtellotte Memorial High School, North Grosvenordale, Conn.
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“Graduates of welding schools are in high demand nationwide, yet many institutions struggle to train enough individuals to meet the local industry's needs,” said Monica Pfarr, executive director of the AWS Foundation. “We are pleased to support these schools in expanding their welding programs and applaud their commitment and dedication to training the next generation of welding technicians and professionals.”
Even though welding plays a vital role in modern society, the shortage of skilled welders continues. The AWS Foundation wants to buck this trend by backing programs that foster the welding sector through research, education and workforce development efforts. In 2023, the foundation allocated more than $3 million in grants and scholarships to propel welding education.
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