The AWS Foundation is dedicated to increasing the welding workforce by providing grant funding to secondary, post-secondary and welder training facilities that seek to enhance and improve their welding education programs.
Grant funding of up to $25,000 per location is awarded for facilities to make improvements, invest in capital items such as welding or metalworking equipment or purchase/upgrade computers or computer-based training systems.
The following seven schools were recently awarded the Welding Workforce Grant:
- Bend Senior High School — Bend, OR
- Bridgerland Technical College — Logan, UT
- Colonial Career and Technology Center—New Oxford, PA
- Front Range Community College—Fort Collins, CO
- Lynnes Welding Training—Ramsey, MN
- ReIgnite Hope—Gardena, CA
- Wallace Community College—Dothan, AL
“As the need for skilled welders continues to increase, helping educational facilities such as these seven locations is more important than ever,” said Monica Pfarr, Executive Director of the AWS Foundation. “We are pleased to support the expansion of their welding programs, their commitment to the welding industry and their dedication to cultivating the next generation of welding technicians and professionals.”
Welding is among the most crucial and 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 the 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.
