RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airgas, an Air Liquide company, will welcome 65 schools into the company’s High School Welding Education Initiative for the 2024 academic year, expanding the ongoing program to help students across the country prepare to enter welding, engineering and technical careers. This year, 31 returning schools and 34 new schools from a record 29 states have been selected to be part of the program.
The selected school programs were chosen based on four key factors: high unmet need at the school; a productive welding program with the potential to graduate job-ready welders; passionate teachers; and enthusiastic local Airgas champions. Participating programs receive a customized mix of hands-on professional development training or continuing education for welding teachers in close collaboration with Airgas associates. In addition, Airgas donates welding consumables or equipment, safety PPE, and other resources to help support welding program growth within these schools.
Since 2018, the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative has assisted 117 schools, over 8,100 welding students and nearly 560 instructors across the country. An estimated 1,000 students have obtained jobs directly after graduating from a school program supported by Airgas donations.
The American Welding Society (AWS) forecasts that 360,000 new welding professionals are projected to be needed by 2027, with 90,000 average welding jobs to be filled annually between 2023-2027. Airgas is grateful that the schools in this year’s program will receive additional resources to support more students from Airgas suppliers including Hypertherm®, Lincoln Electric®, Miller® and 3M™.
Jay Worley, Airgas Chief Operating Officer, commented: “Our goal is to enable and empower students in these 65 deserving programs to fill their potential in a welding career. We are excited to work alongside the dedicated schools and teachers in this year’s program, with equipment and PPE manufacturers adding further support. Together, we can collectively prepare job-ready welding program graduates and support the communities in which we operate.”
Congratulations to the 2024 participating schools representing 29 states:
- Albertville City School - Albertville, AL
- Anniston High School - Anniston, AL
- Barbara Jordan High School - Houston, TX
- Barnwell County Career Center - Barnwell, SC
- Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School - Anchorage, AK
- Boone County Area Technology - Hebron, KY
- Brantley County High School - Nahunta, GA
- Buckeye Hills Career Center - Rio Grande, OH
- Carter Tech Center - Hampton, TN
- Charles Page High School - Sandspring, OK
- Charlton County High School - Folkston, GA
- Clearfield Career and Technology Center - Clearfield, PA
- Crescent City High School - Crescent City, FL
- Crisp County High School - Cordele, GA
- Douglas County High School - Castle Rock, CO
- Elba High School - Elba, AL
- Elvis J Ballew High School - Pharr, TX
- Ernest Righetti High School - Santa Maria, CA
- Father Judge High School - Philadelphia, PA
- Franklinton High School - Franklinton, NC
- Galena Park High School - Galena Park, TX
- Genesee Career Institute - Flint, Michigan
- Hamburg High School - Hamburg, AR
- Hanford West High School - Hanford, CA
- Happy Valley High School - Elizabethton, TN
- Houston County Career Academy - Dothan, AL
- Interlachen High School - Interlachen, FL
- Jeff Tech - Reynoldsville, PA
- John F. Kennedy High School - Richmond, CA
- Journey Soaring Impact - Cincinnati, OH
- Kelso High School - Kelso, WA
- Lake Arthur High School - Lake Arthur, NM
- Largo High School - Largo, FL
- Lima Senior High School - Lima, OH
- Madison Park Vocational High School - Boston, MA
- Mountain Empire Community College - Big Stone Gap, VA
- Nathan Hale High School - West Allis, WI
- Newcomb High School - Newcomb, NM
- Nipomo High School - Nipomo, CA
- North Monterey County High School - Castroville, CA
- Northlands Job Corps Center - Vergennes, VT
- Owatonna High School - Owatonna, MN
- Page High School - Page, AZ
- Palatka Jr. Sr. High School - Palatka, FL
- Paso Robles High School - Paso Robles, CA
- Randolph Technical High School - Philadelphia, PA
- Region 9 School of Applied Technology - Mexico, ME
- Riverside High School - Painesville, OH
- Roswell High School - Roswell, NM
- Rush Springs High School - Rush Springs, OK
- Salina Tech - Salina, KS
- Scott County Career And Technical Center - Gate City, VA
- Serrano High School - Phelan, CA
- Strom Thurmond High School - Johnston, SC
- Tampa Bay Technical High School - Tampa, FL
- The Learning Centers at Fairplex, Career and Technical Education Center - Pomona, CA
- Thomson High School - Thomson, GA
- Thurston High School - Redford, MI
- Tourtelloutte Memorial High School - North Grosvernordale, CT
- Valley High School - West Des Moines, IA
- Veterans Resource Center - Dallas, TX
- Washington County Career and Tech - Abingdon, VA
- Weld Like A Girl - Yuma, AZ
- West Ridge High School - Blountville, TN
- Zion Benton High School - Zion, IL
Airgas, Inc.
Airgas®, an Air Liquide company, is a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products; one of the largest U.S. suppliers of safety products; and a leading U.S. supplier of ammonia products and process chemicals.
Airgas helps its more than 1 million customers advance their business performance and reach their full potential with reliable products, services and expertise used to create, build, care, serve and sustain. With nearly 18,000 associates, over 1,400 locations, a robust eBusiness platform, and Airgas Total Access® telesales channel, Airgas is ready to help customers fill their potential, every day.
As an Air Liquide company, a world leader in gases, technology and services for Industry and Health, Airgas offers customers an unrivaled global footprint and industry-leading technology and innovations.
For more information, please visit www.airgas.com
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Air Liquide is a world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and healthcare. Present in 72 countries with 67,800 employees, the Group serves more than 4 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the Group’s activities since its creation in 1902.
Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies.
Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 27.5 billion euros in 2023. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50, FTSE4Good and DJSI Europe indexes.
