Eastern Iowa Community Colleges host welding competition
More than 60 students competed in the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges‘ welding competition.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges teamed up with the American Welding Society to host the welding showcase and competition May 17, the first of its kind. Participating college and high school students competed in three categories:
- Shielded metal arc welding
- Gas metal arc welding or MIG
- Tungsten inert gas welding or TIG
The winner of each category will received a scholarship from the American Welding Society, and prizes such as welding equipment were given out by local sponsors SSAB, Jackson and Lincoln Electric. Attendees of the event also had the opportunity to tour the facility and interact with local businesses.
“Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is so excited to host the first area welding competition,” Matt Schmit, EICC’s Dean of Operations & Applied Programs, said. “When we first pitched this idea, we were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming amount of interest and support from both local high schools and area companies. We hope to make this an annual event.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers was $47,010 in May 2021 and employment is expected to grow eight percent from 2020 -2030.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ welding program includes certificate, diploma or degree options in a range of industrial welding techniques such as ARC, MIG, TIG, core wire and gas. The certificate programs focus on production welding, basic welding and structural welding, and the hands-on labs give students real-world experience under the guidance of instructors who have worked in the field. For more information, click here.
