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 eleven 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 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.

For more information about the AWS Foundation, scholarships, grants or donations, please visit aws.org/foundation.

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About AWS: The American Welding Society is the worldwide authority in the development of standards, certifications and educational programming for the welding, allied joining and cutting community. We are a not-for-profit organization committed to connecting the welding industry to our extensive collection of resources, informing our community of technological advancements, and developing the next generation of welding professionals with the help of the AWS Foundation. AWS serves nearly 70,000 members worldwide, is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and Student Chapters, and includes close to 2000 volunteers in over 200 technical committees, subcommittees and task groups. For more information, visit the American Welding Society's website at aws.org.

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About AWS Foundation: Founded in 1989, the AWS Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Welding Society, the nonprofit organization with a global mission to advance the science, technology, and, application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes. The AWS Foundation works to ensure the growth and development of the welding industry through various initiatives, including, career awareness, scholarship programs, and grants to institutions that offer welding education and training. As a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we rely on the generosity of our partners who understand the value of welding and its role in building a better, stronger economy. aws.org/foundation.

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