Discover the Future of Welding: The Careers in Welding Mobile Experience Comes to Stuart Career Tech High School, Baytown TX

Mark your calendars for this Friday, April 5, as the cutting-edge Careers in Welding Trailer, presented by the AWS Foundation and sponsored by Lincoln Electric, will be rolling into Baytown, TX, Stuart Career Tech High School. All who are interested in welding as a career or a hobby, including school groups, youth organizations, the media, and the general public, are welcome to visit this dynamic 53-foot mobile experience.

Andre Mosley, Workforce Development Specialist at the AWS Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for hitting the road once more: “I am ready to bring this remarkable and essential skilled trade into the spotlight, sharing about the huge variety of career paths and income potential in our industry.”

From skyscrapers to spacecraft, military vessels to cruise ships, appliances to medical devices, and more, welding is the backbone of modern infrastructure. Yet despite its crucial role in our daily lives, the number of skilled welding professionals is dwindling. Projections indicate that by 2028, our nation will require over 330,000 welders to meet workforce demands (source: WeldingWorkforceData.com).

Since its inception in 2011, the Careers in Welding Trailer has been a beacon of welding education and career exploration. Embarking on an annual summer tour across the country, it showcases welding as a lucrative career path with boundless opportunities. From the National Scout Jamboree in WV to the FFA National Convention in IN, upcoming tour stops promise to enlighten audiences about the diverse applications and earning potentials within the welding industry.

Sponsored by Lincoln Electric, the 53-foot single-expandable trailer offers visitors an immersive experience with virtual welding on state-of-the-art VRTEX® 360 Virtual Reality Welding Simulators. Each day, the student achieving the highest score on these virtual welding stations will receive a $1,000 scholarship awarded by the AWS Foundation.

“In 2023, the AWS Foundation awarded $34,000 in scholarships throughout the tour,” Mosley remarks. “I’m happy I’m able to continue this tradition.”

Attendees can explore engaging exhibits that showcase weld examples and applications designed to spark the senses and ignite interest in welding. Don't miss the chance to snap a selfie with the “Metal Maiden,” a striking five-foot metal-art sculpture resembling the Statue of Liberty, crafted by Stephanie Hoffman and Barbie the Welder.

To check out the entire 2024 tour schedule, including confirmed tour stops, please visit weld.ng/CIWtour2024.