Skills USA Welding - FabTech 2014 AWS Invitational Weld Trials

I made sure to drop by the Skills USA/AWS Invitational Weld Trials and even got to interview a few competitors.

When you see the level of quality of the pressure vessels and other tests and projects, you would think a 20 year veteran did them.

Certainly not a welding student 22 years old or younger.

The thing I always ponder when I see these welds is how many hundreds of hours of training and practice went into getting these kids to this level.

Not only the time the student puts in...but instructors, mentors, and other volunteers, and parents.

Every weld you see represents someone investing in the future of a young welder.

It might start with a student taking a simple Tee joint test against other welding students in his class.

Next comes a slightly more difficult project competing against other welding students from nearby schools.

These students stuck with it and invested the time and effort to sharpen their skills ...and that is something that cannot be taken away.

Skill is to be sought after...

Because No pay cut, benefit cut, or recession can take away your skill.

Andrew Cardin placed in the top 3

I am writing this just a few days after the AWS weld trials Competition ended and I learned that one of the welders I interviewed placed in the top 3 and so will be moving on to the Big Show. 

So...a Big Congratulations to Andrew Cardin...and also Dan Rivera (welding instructor)

for a job well done.

Also thank you to Matt Hayden - Welding Instructor and Skills USA volunteer.

peace out,

Jody Collier