Airgas expands high school welding education program
Airgas, an Air Liquide company, will welcome 65 schools into the company’s High School Welding Education Initiative for the 2024 academic year, expanding the ongoing program to help students across the country prepare to enter welding, engineering and technical careers. This year, 31 returning schools and 34 new schools from a record 29 states have been selected to be part of the program.
The selected school programs were chosen based on four key factors: high unmet need at the school; a productive welding program with the potential to graduate job-ready welders; passionate teachers; and enthusiastic local Airgas champions. Participating programs receive a customized mix of hands-on professional development training or continuing education for welding teachers in close collaboration with Airgas associates. In addition, Airgas donates welding consumables or equipment, safety PPE, and other resources to help support welding program growth within these schools.
Since 2018, the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative has assisted 117 schools, over 8,100 welding students and nearly 560 instructors across the country. An estimated 1,000 students have obtained jobs directly after graduating from a school program supported by Airgas donations.
The American Welding Society (AWS) forecasts that 360,000 new welding professionals are projected to be needed by 2027, with 90,000 average welding jobs to be filled annually between 2023-2027. Airgas is grateful that the schools in this year’s program will receive additional resources to support more students from Airgas suppliers including Hypertherm, Lincoln Electric, Miller and 3M.
“Our goal is to enable and empower students in these 65 deserving programs to fill their potential in a welding career," said Jay Worley, Airgas chief operating officer. "We are excited to work alongside the dedicated schools and teachers in this year’s program, with equipment and PPE manufacturers adding further support. Together, we can collectively prepare job-ready welding program graduates and support the communities in which we operate.”
Congratulations to the 2024 participating schools representing 29 states:
Albertville City School - Albertville, AL
Anniston High School - Anniston, AL
Barbara Jordan High School - Houston, TX
Barnwell County Career Center - Barnwell, SC
Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School - Anchorage, AK
Boone County Area Technology - Hebron, KY
Brantley County High School - Nahunta, GA
Buckeye Hills Career Center - Rio Grande, OH
Carter Tech Center - Hampton, TN
Charles Page High School - Sandspring, OK
Charlton County High School - Folkston, GA
Clearfield Career and Technology Center - Clearfield, PA
Crescent City High School - Crescent City, FL
Crisp County High School - Cordele, GA
Douglas County High School - Castle Rock, CO
Elba High School - Elba, AL
Elvis J Ballew High School - Pharr, TX
Ernest Righetti High School - Santa Maria, CA
Father Judge High School - Philadelphia, PA
Franklinton High School - Franklinton, NC
Galena Park High School - Galena Park, TX
Genesee Career Institute - Flint, Michigan
Hamburg High School - Hamburg, AR
Hanford West High School - Hanford, CA
Happy Valley High School - Elizabethton, TN
Houston County Career Academy - Dothan, AL
Interlachen High School - Interlachen, FL
Jeff Tech - Reynoldsville, PA
John F. Kennedy High School - Richmond, CA
Journey Soaring Impact - Cincinnati, OH
Kelso High School - Kelso, WA
Lake Arthur High School - Lake Arthur, NM
Largo High School - Largo, FL
Lima Senior High School - Lima, OH
Madison Park Vocational High School - Boston, MA
Mountain Empire Community College - Big Stone Gap, VA
Nathan Hale High School - West Allis, WI
Newcomb High School - Newcomb, NM
Nipomo High School - Nipomo, CA
North Monterey County High School - Castroville, CA
Northlands Job Corps Center - Vergennes, VT
Owatonna High School - Owatonna, MN
Page High School - Page, AZ
Palatka Jr. Sr. High School - Palatka, FL
Paso Robles High School - Paso Robles, CA
Randolph Technical High School - Philadelphia, PA
Region 9 School of Applied Technology - Mexico, ME
Riverside High School - Painesville, OH
Roswell High School - Roswell, NM
Rush Springs High School - Rush Springs, OK
Salina Tech - Salina, KS
Scott County Career And Technical Center - Gate City, VA
Serrano High School - Phelan, CA
Strom Thurmond High School - Johnston, SC
Tampa Bay Technical High School - Tampa, FL
The Learning Centers at Fairplex, Career and Technical Education Center - Pomona, CA
Thomson High School - Thomson, GA
Thurston High School - Redford, MI
Tourtelloutte Memorial High School - North Grosvernordale, CT
Valley High School - West Des Moines, IA
Veterans Resource Center - Dallas, TX
Washington County Career and Tech - Abingdon, VA
Weld Like A Girl - Yuma, AZ
West Ridge High School - Blountville, TN
Zion Benton High School - Zion, IL
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
