WELDING PROFESSIONALS REWARDED FOR ADVANCING THE IMAGE OF WELDING

WELDING PROFESSIONALS REWARDED FOR ADVANCING THE IMAGE OF WELDING
American Welding Society honors seven award-winners at 11 AM, April 8, at the 2004 Welding Show

Contact:
Amy Nathan, AWS Communications/Public Relations Manager
(800) 443 - 9353, ext. 308
nathan@aws.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIAMI - January 30, 2004 - The AWS Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee (WEMCO), announced the recipients of the second annual Image of Welding Awards. Divided into seven categories, these awards recognize individuals and organizations who have excelled in promoting the image of welding in their communities.

The winners will join the Image of Welding Committee (a subcommittee of WEMCO) to accept their awards at 11 AM on April 8 at the 2004 AWS Welding Show. The show runs from April 6 to April 8 in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
Image of Welding Award winners for 2004 are:

The 'Richard Alley' Individual Award: Tony Anderson.(http://www.alcotec.com/consult.htm) Tony, an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and Educator, is the coordinator for the AlcoTec School for Aluminum Welding Technology. As an active AWS volunteer, he has a leadership role on five technical committees in addition to writing a regular aluminum welding question-and-answer column for the Welding Journal.

AWS Section Award: Philadelphia, AWS Section #1.(www.aws.org/sections/phila/) Led by welding instructor and past chairperson, Dan Roskiewich, this section dedicates their skills and time to increasing student participation in section activities. They are mentors and leaders to welding students in their community, paving the way through training and into jobs.

Large Business Award: ESAB Welding & Cutting Products.(www.esabna.com) In addition to $5,000 already raised through the efforts of the York-Central Section, ESAB contributed additional funds to provide more broadcast time and reach even more viewers.

Small Business Award: Training Modernization Group, Inc.(www.trainingmodernizationgroup.com/) This Chesapeake, Virginia company prepares students for successful entry into the job market by providing computer-based welding-training courseware to local technical schools.

Distributor Award: BOC Canada.(www.bocgases.ca/) Skills Canada student welding competitions benefit from the equipment, gases, and electrodes supplied by BOC Canada, a gas and welding equipment distributor and manufacturer. In addition to supplying materials, BOC Canada employees volunteer their time and enthusiasm to support the participants.

Educator Award: Juan Martinez.(www.boisestate.edu) This Boise, Idaho, welding instructor and artist led a community art project that brought students together from all walks of life. His inspirational leadership transformed the students into welding advocates and proud fabricators of a beautiful local bridge-arch.

Educational Facility Award: New Horizons Regional Education Center.(www.nhgs.tec.va.us) Hampton, Virginia, high-school welding students are trained to meet Northrop Grumman Newport News employment standards using computer-based welding-training courseware developed by Training Modernization Group, Inc. Cooperation with these companies allows New Horizons Regional Education Center to provide jobs to graduating students and well-trained employees to potential-employer Northrop Grumman. As a result of this school's successful collaboration, this program has been adopted by five more technical schools.

"The welding industry is facing a serious labor shortage," says Douglas Beck, chairman of the Image of Welding Committee. "If we can't raise public awareness of the vital role that welding plays in our total economy - and the outstanding career opportunities offered by the welding industry - we'll see more welding fabrication jobs leave the U.S.A., not because of labor costs, but because enough trained welding people are simply not available."

Additional nominees for the 2004 Image of Welding Awards are Rob Doneth, Kristen Forrester, York County School of Technology, Ed Wyatt, Cee Kay Supply Company, Northrop Grumman Newport News, Ron & Martha Vann, York Central Section, Joe Gess Jr., Charles Hunt, A.J. Turner, AlcoTec Wire Corporation, and Miller Welding Supply.

Nominations for the 2005 Image of Welding Awards are being accepted. For more information, please contact Amy Nathan, AWS communications manager, at nathan@aws.org.

WEMCO is a standing committee of the American Welding Society. Executives from welding-industry suppliers formed the committee as a forum to promote their understanding of the welding equipment market through customized plans and programs. Enhancing the image of welding as a crucial industry has been identified as a top-priority program. For more information on WEMCO membership and benefits, visit the committee's Web site at www.aws.org/wemco.

The American Welding Society (AWS) is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and application of materials joining. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, AWS serves almost 50,000 members in the United States and around the world. In 2004, the AWS Welding Show, the premiere trade show for the welding industry, will take place April 6 through 8 in Chicago, Illinois. For additional information on AWS programs and publications, visit the Society's Web site at www.aws.org.
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