High school welders show off skills at competition
Local high school students showed off their welding skills during a competition last week, and several winners took home scholarships.
Held at Cleveland Community College, all four traditional high schools in the county were represented with four students from each competing. One winner was selected from each school with $750 scholarships awarded to first place winners.
Two industry judges from Maco and IMA judged the competition.
The event drew in diverse students, and this year, there were four girls competing and one hearing impaired student.
After a brief round of instructions, the students were assigned to a booth and got to work, sparks flying like fourth of July sparklers and a cloud of smoke drifting throughout the shop.
“I like getting to practice and get better,” said Madison Lemons, Crest High student. “I just think it’s a fun thing to do. I want to be a welder. I want to travel around and weld. I really enjoy it.”
Tucker Ivie said he also has fun welding and enjoys being able to make things with his hands.
Richard Stevens, a sales representative with Andy Oxy Co., said the company sponsored the competition and provided the welding supplies, in part to highlight the welding field and hopefully inspire interest from a new generation of welders.
He said Andy Oxy is a family-owned and operated business that was opened in 1946 in Hendersonville and has since expanded to Tennessee and South Carolina.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” he said. “We need welders. There’s a huge demand, and the void is not being filled.”
He said the career offers many opportunities and pays well.
Stevens said the competitors will hopefully spread the word about opportunities in the field.
Cleveland County students are fortunate, he said, because they have great, experienced and passionate instructors both at Cleveland Community College and the high schools.
Rick Greene, Shelby High School metals and welding instructor, said during the competition, students work on welding skills that would be used in the workforce today.
He said anyone can take on welding, and it only takes time, practice and commitment.
“You can take it as far as you want to,” Greene said.
He said welding requires attention to detail, which often means women are better at than men.
Greene described it as being “almost like a metal surgeon.”
Overall winners of the competition:
First place: Jackson Pence
Second place: Madison Lemmons
Third place: MacKenzie Canipe
These winners received a large tool bag, welding helmet and welding gloves. In addition, the first-place winner received a hand-crafted belt buckle made by CCC instructors Michael Beatty and Tim Wisher.
The top finishers from each school were:
Burns: MacKenzie Canipe
Crest: Jackson Pence
Kings Mountain: Adam Harrelson
Shelby: Jaydan Tate
The top four finishers from each school received a $750 scholarship to attend CCC’s welding program. All 16 competitors received a welding helmet from Cleveland County Schools.
Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: High school welders show off skills at competition
