American Welding Society Foundation

• Booth: W4685

 Press Releases

• AWS Foundation Presents 19 Schools with Welding Workforce Grants of Up to $25,000 (Aug 21, 2024)

  Miami, FL, September 21, 2023: As the need for welders in the nation’s manufacturing and construction sectors remains high, the American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation is committed to supporting educational institutions that are stepping up to train the next generation of welding professionals.

  The following 19 schools were recently selected by the AWS Foundation to receive grants of up to $25,000 to expand training facilities, purchase welding or metalworking equipment, or upgrade computers and computer-based training systems:

  Discussion Topics Include:

  • Denver High School – Denver, IA
  • Eastern Pulaski Community School – Winamac, IN
  • Fort Atkinson High School – Fort Atkinson, WI
  • Hampton University – Hampton, VA
  • Lamar Institute of Technology – Beaumont, TX
  • Moraine Valley Community College – Palos Hills, IL
  • Power Technical Early College – Colorado Springs, CO
  • School District of Rhinelander – Rhinelander, WI
  • Schuylkill Technology Center – Mar Lin, PA
  • Southwest Technology Center – Altus, OK
  • Sugar Salem High School – Sugar City, ID
  • Sullivan County Department of Education – Blountville, TN
  • University Of Alaska-Southeast (SITKA) – Juneau, AK
  • Walla Walla Community College – Walla Walla, WA
  • Washington County Career Center – Marietta, OH
  • Westbrook High School – Westbrook, CT
  • Wayne State University (Detroit Section Grant) – Detroit, MI
  • Clarke County High School (Mobile Section Grant) – Grove Hill, A
  • Wewahitchka High School (Mobile Section Grant) – Wewahitchka, FL

  “All across the country, graduates of welding schools are in high demand, and it’s an ongoing challenge for schools to train enough individuals to meet the needs of local industry,” Monica Pfarr, Executive Director of the AWS Foundation “We are pleased to support the expansion of these schools’ welding programs and applaud their commitment and dedication to cultivating the next generation of welding technicians and professionals.”

  The American Welding Society, through the AWS Foundation, supports programs to ensure the growth and development of the welding industry through education, research, and workforce development. Last year, the AWS Foundation awarded more than $3 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 over 60,000 members worldwide, is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and Student Chapters, and includes more than 1,800 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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• American Welding Society Foundation Awards Light a Spark Grant to Seven Schools (Aug 21, 2024)

  Miami, FL, November 2, 2023: The American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation, in partnership with Miller Electric Mfg. LLC and Bechtel Group Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of the Light a Spark Grant:

  • Bell City High School — Bell City, MO
  • Griggs County Central School — Cooperstown, ND
  • Millennium High School — Goodyear, AZ
  • Mountain View High School — Lawrenceville, GA
  • Northern Cass School — Hunter, ND
  • Warren Hills Regional High School — Washington, NJ
  • Wildwood Middle-High School — Sumterville, FL

  The Light a Spark Grant brings welding back to high school with a turnkey Miller® equipment package valued at more than $14,000. Each package includes a multi-process welding machine, plasma cutter, supplies, personal protective equipment, and a MobileArc™ Augmented Reality Welding System.

  “The AWS Foundation is extremely pleased to offer this grant to high schools that do not currently offer a welding program. Thanks to Miller Electric and Bechtel Group Foundation, hundreds of students will have the opportunity to experience welding for the first time and consider the possibility of welding as a career,” said AWS Foundation Executive Director Monica Pfarr.

  “Miller is committed to advancing the craft of welding through providing a foundation to inspire and excel the knowledge and opportunities in the welding career path” says Jessica Marhefke, Vice President and General Manager, Miller. “We are proud to partner with AWS and Bechtel Group Foundation to provide these schools with the equipment and supplies needed to introduce their students to welding.”

  “These kits make it easy for educators to offer realistic learning experiences and position students for success in community college and university programs,” said LeeAnne Lang, president of Bechtel Group Foundation.

  This year the AWS Foundation will award more than $3 million in scholarships, grants, and research fellowships to support welding education and workforce development across the United States.

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  About AWS Foundation: The AWS Foundation was established by the American Welding Society on September 13, 1989, to support programs that ensure the growth and development of the welding industry through strengthening research and educational opportunities in welding and related industries. Led by a volunteer Board of Trustees, the Foundation is organized as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Administration, including program development, fundraising, public relations, marketing, and financial management is provided by a small development staff of the American Welding Society. Its operations are conducted from the Society's offices in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit aws.org/foundation.

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  About Miller: Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, is a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller® brand arc welding products and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (NYSE: ITW). For more information, visit MillerWelds.com, call 1-800-4-A-Miller (800-426-4553), email info@millerwelds.com, fax 877-327-8132, or write to Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, P.O. Box 100, Lithonia, GA 30058.

  About Bechtel Group Foundation: Bechtel Group Foundation helps students worldwide succeed in their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies. The Foundation was created in 1954 by Bechtel, a trusted engineering, construction, and project management partner to industry and government. www.bechtel.com

  

  

  

• American Welding Society Foundation Awards $2.5 Million in Scholarships (Aug 21, 2024)

  Miami, FL, December 19, 2023: The American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation is pleased to announce that $2.5 million in scholarships have been awarded to support welding students across North America.

  In 2023, more than 1,500 welding students received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $8,000 or more, with recipients attending 430 different academic and training institutions in 47 U.S. States and two Canadian provinces.

  Schools receiving the most scholarships were (by number of scholarships, then dollar amount):

  •  122 | $319,000 – Ferris State University - Big Rapids, MI
  •    81 | $101,500 – Hobart Institute of Welding Technology - Troy, OH
  •    42 | $  42,500 – Missouri Welding Institute - Nevada, MO
  •    41 | $129,750 – Pennsylvania College of Technology - Williamsport, PA
  •    33 | $  40,000 – American Welding Academy - Union, MO
  •    29 | $105,250 – Ohio State University - Columbus, OH
  •    26 | $  81,250 – LeTourneau University - Longview, TX
  •    26 | $  46,750 – Arkansas Elite Welding Academy - Quitman, AR
  •    23 | $  24,000 – Western Welding Academy - Gillette, WY
  •    22 | $  26,000 – Tulsa Welding School - Tulsa, OK

  The AWS Foundation offers scholarships for every level of welding education. In fact, sixty-six percent of scholarships were awarded to students in short-term training programs, meant to rapidly train individuals to meet the growing demand for skilled welders.

  The AWS Foundation is committed to fostering an industry that embraces inclusivity. Females represented 25% of this year’s scholarship recipients, far outpacing the current welding industry participation rate of 7.9%.

  “As the construction and manufacturing industries continue to face hiring challenges for all skilled trade occupations, our efforts to support welding education are more important than ever,” said AWS Foundation Executive Director Monica Pfarr. “Our donors, and the members of the American Welding Society, have shown a tremendous commitment to ensuring the welding industry is well positioned for continued growth in the years to come.”

  Applications are now open for 2024 scholarships at scholarship.aws.org. The deadline to apply for AWS National, District, and Section Scholarships is March 1, 2024.

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  About AWS Foundation: The AWS Foundation was established by the American Welding Society on September 13, 1989, to support programs that ensure the growth and development of the welding industry through strengthening research and educational opportunities in welding and related industries. Led by a volunteer Board of Trustees, the Foundation is organized as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Administration, including program development, fundraising, public relations, marketing, and financial management is provided by a small development staff of the American Welding Society. Its operations are conducted from the Society's offices in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit aws.org/foundation.

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