North Bethesda, Md. – ESAB today launched its Future Fabricators Program with the announcement of 12 scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each that are awarded through the American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation. ESAB’s Future Fabricators program was developed for aspiring welders and fabricators to provide tools, equipment, scholarships, training and educational materials to technical and trade education programs from high schools to four-year welding engineering programs across North America. The application deadline for 2024 National AWS Foundation scholarships is March 1, and details are available at https://scholarship.aws.org/applications/.
“ESAB Scholarships provide significant financial support for welding students across the country, allowing those individuals to focus on their education and training rather than the burden of paying for school. The AWS Foundation is proud to partner with ESAB to provide these 12 scholarships annually and looks forward to creating brighter futures for aspiring welding professionals for years to come,” says Monica Pfarr, Executive Director, AWS Foundation.
“The AWS scholarships and ESAB’s Future Fabricators program help the next generation of fabricators move into an array of careers across a wide range of industries,” says Eleonor Lukens, President, Americas, ESAB Corporation. “AWS predicts a shortage of 360,000 new welding professionals by 2027. This alarming statistic necessitates a greater commitment to technical education by industry, institutions and organizations. The Future Fabricators program demonstrates our commitment to addressing this issue by establishing a platform that showcases and supports the next generation of skilled trade professionals.”
ESAB developed its Future Fabricators Program for aspiring welders and fabricators to provide tools, equipment, scholarships, training and educational materials to technical and trade education programs from high schools to four-year welding engineering programs across North America.
Student Success
Scholarship applications are reviewed by the AWS Foundation’s Education Scholarship Committee, and the selections will be made and announced in May. The $5,000 scholarships are made possible by a limited endowment that ESAB established in 2022 in partnership with the AWS Foundation. The scholarships support students working toward welding certifications and associate’s and baccalaureate welding degrees.
“When I told my mother about receiving this scholarship, she burst into tears,” says 2023 scholarship recipient Trevor Townson, now a student at Ferris State University. “Ever since my father passed away, money has been tight for my family, so thanks to the generosity of ESAB, an incredible financial burden has been alleviated.”
“Because of your generous donation, I will be able to attend Southern Arkansas University Tech and earn my welding certification and become an integral part of the workforce,” says Hezekiah Heard. 2023 scholarship recipient.
“What an honor to receive this scholarship,” says Aden Hallquist, 2023 scholarship recipient and student at Iron Eagle Welding Academy in Stockton, Missouri. “I have struggled all through my years in school with dyslexia, and when I found welding, I knew I had found my calling.”
To read more inspiring stories from the 2023 scholarship winners, the success of a unique bi-lingual welding program at a Colorado high school and more, visit ESAB’s Future Fabricators web page.