Selection Process

Timeline and Prizes

Download Instructions and Documents

How Candidates are Selected for the Weld-Off

Competition Promotes Excellence
Student welder competitions effectively promote quality, productivity and the image of welding, one of America’s key production skills. By holding competitions at the local, national and international levels, AWS and SkillsUSA demonstrate their support through encouraging future welders to develop the full potential of their skills. AWS welding competitors exemplify excellence through their knowledge, skill and intense personal commitment.

Contests at various levels are comprehensive and consist of written, hands-on welding, code interpretation, and other test of a welder’s skill and knowledge that are used everyday in the workplace. Throughout these welding contests, the pressure is on to be the best!

The 2008 Weld-Off sponsored by the American Welding Society will be held at the AWS Welding Show & Exposition in Las Vegas, NV October 6-8, 2008. The 3 SkillsUSA competitors qualifying the highest will advance on to the next phase of the selection process that will culminate at the USOpen Weld Trials during the summer of 2009. The TeamUSA Welder will be selected at this contest and will represent the United States at the 40th World Skills Competition, September 1-6, 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Who’s Eligible?
Local, Regional, State, National and International SkillsUSA Contest Participants must be active SkillsUSA members who are enrolled in or have graduated from a welding program.

SkillsUSA Championships
Contestants must be active SkillsUSA members who have won first place in their respective states SkillsUSA contest. There is no age restriction for the SkillsUSA Championships; however, the winner must adhere to the World Skills Competition age restrictions if he/she is to compete.

AWS USOpen Weld Trials and World Skills Competition (WSC) Competitors must be less than 23 years old during the year of the WSC to qualify for the USOpen Weld Trials and the WSC. The international contest is conducted through the WSC secretariat in The Netherlands.

Scope of the TeamUSA Welder Selection Process This is a quadruple elimination process consisting of:

(1)The AWS PreWeld-Off
The 24 invitees from the SkillsUSA Championships from 2007and 2008 and any “red shirts” from the 2006 TeamUSA selection process still age eligible compete for the one of the six invitations to the 2008 Weld-Off. Projects are reviewed by a group of experts from August 2008 through September 2008.

(2)The AWS Weld-Off
The competition involves test of skill in specific processes and personal development, including:

• SMAW/GMAW/GTAW/FCAW Test Plates/Pipes (RT and Bent Tests)
• Stainless Steel, and Aluminum Sheet Metal Weldments
• SMAW/GMAW/GTAW/FCAW Pressure Vessel (tested using water pressure at 1,000 PSI)
• Physical and Mental Conditioning Needed to Accept the Challenge of Pursuing an International Gold Metal Gold, Silver and Bronze metals are awarded.

(3)The PreWeld Trials
The three medallists from the AWS Weld-Off (Gold, Silver and Bronze) compete for two positions at the USOpen Weld Trials. Projects are reviewed by a group of experts from January 2008 through May of 2008.

(4) USOpen Weld Trials
This contest will take place in the summer of 2009. The six competitors will be comprised of 2-SkillsUSA welders and up to 4-International champions from their respective countries. The two SkillsUSA welders will be competing against each other as well as the four international invitees to number one see who gets the gold medal overall and secondly who will be the TeamUSA Welder to represent the USA in Canada at the WorldSkills Competition.

The SkillsUSA winner from the US Open Weld Trials will attend on-site, intensive PostWeld Trials training programs provided by major welding companies such as:

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. The Lincoln Electric Co. ESAB Welding and Cutting Equipment Hobart Institute of Welding Technology Northrop Grumman Ship Systems United Association Local 72

Tools and Equipment
Welding machines, accessories, consumables, testing agencies and test equipment for the Weld-Off were arranged by the AWS Skills Competition Committee.
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Judging Criteria Contestants are evaluated in selected competencies.
Print reading Setting of amperage, wire feed speed, voltage, gas flow rate Safety Penetration/Fusion Distortion control	Selection of filler metals and wire Manipulative skill, speed, accuracy Destructive and nondestructive testing General appearance of project

Awards
The AWS USOpen Weld Trials winner (who will representing the USA at the WSC) will receive a $40,000, four-year scholarship from the AWS Foundation and sponsored by The Miller Electric Manufacturing Co., up to $1,000 in AWS publications, and a four-year complimentary full AWS membership. All participants at the Weld-Off will receive a $1,000 scholarship for books, tuition, or lab fees, and a one-year complimentary full AWS membership. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded.

Travel and lodging expenses will also be furnished for the SkillsUSA qualifier and instructor for the trip to Canada, to compete in the WSC, courtesy of AWS. Travel, lodging and living allowance, while attending the PostWeld Trials training program, are provided courtesy of the post trial training sponsors.

Making Winners
AWS has a long tradition of sending winning competitors from the USA to the international contests. Since 1991, the AWS sponsored competitors have brought home two Gold, one Silver and three Bronze medals at the World Skills Competitions.

Contest Development
AWS Skills Competition Committee Chair, and World Skills Competition USA Technical Expert Edward Bohnart, Welding Education & Consulting Contest Print Coordinators, Robert Pope, Arc Dimensions, Inc. Nick Peterson, Miller Electric Mfg. Co., Branden Muehlbrandt, The Lincoln Electric Co., Glenn Kay II, Student, Ray Connolly, Welding Engineer Seagrave, Dien Tran, Student, Miles Tilley, Instructor, Joel Stanley, Quality Assurance Mng, and Chance Pollo, Student (all former USA WSC contestants)

Judges
Judges for the AWS Weld-Off, are AWS Certified Welding Inspectors (CWIs) and come from the ranks of inspectors, manufacturer’s representatives, instructors, supervisors and welders. Judges for the WSC are technical experts from the various countries represented in the welding contest.

Question
Question on the Weld-Off, US Open Weld Trials or the World Skills Competition can be directed to:

Chair AWS Skills Competition Committee:
Ed Bohnart
Welding Education and Consulting
Phone: 920-290-0283
E-mail: erbohn@weldinged.com

Secretary AWS Skills Competition Committee:
Marie Maldonado
American Welding Society
Phone: 800-443-9353 ext. 237
E-mail: mmaldonado@aws.org