American Welding Society Grants
The AWS Foundation is dedicated to increasing the welding workforce by providing grant funding to secondary, post-secondary and welder training facilities that seek to enhance and improve their welding education programs.
Grant funding of up to $25,000 per location is awarded for facilities to make improvements, invest in capital items such as welding or metalworking equipment or purchase/upgrade computers or computer-based training systems.
The following seven schools were recently awarded the Welding Workforce Grant:
- Bend Senior High School — Bend, OR
- Bridgerland Technical College — Logan, UT
- Colonial Career and Technology Center—New Oxford, PA
- Front Range Community College—Fort Collins, CO
- Lynnes Welding Training—Ramsey, MN
- ReIgnite Hope—Gardena, CA
- Wallace Community College—Dothan, AL
“As the need for skilled welders continues to increase, helping educational facilities such as these seven locations is more important than ever,” said Monica Pfarr, Executive Director of the AWS Foundation. “We are pleased to support the expansion of their welding programs, their commitment to the welding industry and their dedication to cultivating the next generation of welding technicians and professionals.”
Welding is among the most crucial and essential skilled trades that impact everyday life, yet the number of skilled welding technicians and professionals continues to decrease.
The American Welding Society through the AWS Foundation supports programs to ensure the growth and development of the welding industry through research and educational opportunities. In 2021, the AWS Foundation awarded more than $2.2 million in grants and scholarships to support welding education.
Grants up to $25,000 are available for secondary and post-secondary education/training institutions to enhance and improve welding programs resulting in an increase in the number of welding graduates and/or the number of graduates successfully placed in welding or welding-related jobs.
Funds may be used for:
- Welding or metalworking equipment
- Welding facility improvements
- Computers, computer-based systems for welding training
- Classroom or lab materials and/or supplies (Limited to 20% of total budget proposal)
- Becoming an AWS Accredited Testing Facility
Funds cannot be used for:
- Any program or area not related to welding education/training
- Travel expenses
- Personnel or to expand teaching staff
- Student tuition or scholarships
- Textbooks or teaching materials
- Personal protective equipment
- Indirect costs
- Capital items, such as vehicles, furniture, forklifts, etc.