Airgas, a U.S. subsidiary of Air Liquide and a leading supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding hardgoods and safety products, will welcome high school technology shop teachers from across the state of Kansas for a two-day welding workshop held at Salina Area Technical College on June 4 and 5.
With local customers around the country and in Kansas looking for newly trained welding professionals, Airgas is bringing trainers from across the nation to teach at the workshop. The company hopes that this hands on experience will provide high school teachers with an updated understanding of welding fundamentals to share with students in their rural communities.
Welders work on many of the country’s most vital industrial projects, from bridges, pipelines and refineries, to automotive and aerospace manufacturing, to building and construction projects. The need to fill roles with new talent is crucial, as the American Welding Society reports that a shortage of over 200,000 skilled welding professionals is predicted by 2020.
Many students can gain an interest in skilled trades when inspired by technology shop teachers who encourage them to enter a field where they are needed and in high demand.
Airgas knows the importance of providing students with early exposure to emerging welding opportunities and to inspire younger generations to work towards a career in the metal/fabrication industry. The partnership between Airgas and these Kansas communities will allow educators across the state to re-introduce and better support welding programs in their schools.
Airgas is supplying more than 40 registered teachers with hotel stays, meals, and safety products to use at lab stations during the two-day workshop. The teachers will also receive continuing education credits and certificates as they progress in fine-tuning their welding knowledge. Local owners and presidents of large area businesses have also been invited to meet with the teachers during the seminar to speak about their needs for welders at their respective companies.
