Texas High School Receives Grant to Expand Welding Program

Here at GrantNews, we’ve spoken quite a bit on workforce development and how critical it is for people and the economy. Workforce development trains current and potential workers for the careers of the present and the future. The truth is that training and available instruction is for more than just technology-related jobs. Physically challenging jobs are also part of workforce development and are critical to ensuring a skilled workforce. Welding is one of these jobs.

The welding field is a growing one, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting an increased demand for welders in 2020. This is especially true in the state of Texas. In fact, of the 375,000 welders in the United States, over 50,000 of those jobs are in Texas. That’s why it’s great to hear that a $300,000 grant has been awarded to Baird High School, in Baird Texas. This grant funding will go towards improving their existing welding program. But what exactly does welding entail?

There Are Many Types of Welding Jobs and the Field Is Growing Fast

So, let’s talk a bit about welding because, just like in other fields, this isn’t just one job. There are multiple types of welding positions, and they vary in terms of pay-grade. Here are 13 different types of welding jobs:

• Construction Welders
• Manufacturing Welders
• Underwater Welders
• Military Welders
• Shipyard Welders
• Motorsports Welders
• Pipefitters
• Rig Welders
• Industrial Shutdown Welders
• Industrial Maintenance Welders
• Boilermakers
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Structural Steel Welders

Each of these welding jobs has its own set of responsibilities, which you can read about here. What this really means is that this field is in incredibly high demand, especially in the state of Texas. In fact, Texas is considered to be the welding capital of the United States, making this grant even more important. Welders earn a median salary of $40,000 without a college degree, and that can increase to over $100,000 with advanced training. Of course, this can vary state by state.

Baird High School Programming Gets Boost From Grant Award

This critical $300,000 grant was sponsored by the Economic and Community Development Corporations of Baird and Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas. It was awarded directly to professional welder Michael Reddin, who is a teacher at Baird High School. This grant will improve upon the current program and offer more opportunities to students.

According to Amy Hall, Strategic initiatives Manager at Workforce Solutions, the welding industry in Texas is expected to grow 16% by 2028.

Hall said about the grant award: “We’re really excited about it because it’s really the essence of what we do, They may not be job seekers yet, but they are the workforce of tomorrow, and they need to be adequately prepared so they can go into these jobs that pay family-sustaining wages, so they can have successful careers here at home hopefully.”

The jobs that this program will prepare students for can actually grow in terms of wages and skills and that’s key. To prepare students for these jobs, Redfin will be working with manufacturing companies in West Texas. He hopes to take that knowledge and adjust that to the current curriculum being taught through the program. When students graduate from this program, they will be ready for the workforce and jobs that can earn them upwards of $35 per hour, without requiring a college degree.

In an incredible opportunity for students in this program, the new welding facilities will be open in August of 2022. The hope is that the program can secure even more grant funding.

GrantWatch Understands the Need for Workforce Development

As a GrantNews writer, I love getting to tell stories like this one. Seeing how fields, especially those that don’t require a college degree, are growing is amazing. This means that more workers will have an opportunity to grow and increase their skills while earning a competitive wage.

It’s also why I’m glad we have an entire category on GrantWatch for workforce development-related grants. The category is constantly updated by our amazing research team, for maximum value to our subscribers. If you have any questions about this grant category or any of the others on our website, feel free to reach out to our customer support team! You can reach our team members by calling 561-249-4129 or sending an email through this form.