LONDON, Ohio — Thousands of people stepped into the Careers in Welding mobile experience at The Ohio State University’s Farm Science Review this week.
Participants used a torch controller, much like that of a video game, to virtually weld a piece of metal through a computer.
According to the American Welding Society, by 2028, the United States will need more than 330,000 welders to meet workforce demands.
“It is crucial for this trailer to be here,” Ryland Foster said.
Foster assisted participants with the mobile experience. He is an instructor at the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy.
“There’s not another trailer like this in the country that’s going to give these rural kids in these communities the option to look at this as a future career where they can make easily north of $100,000 a year,” he said.
Andre Mosley is the Workforce Development Specialist for the American Welding Society.
“Telling people about the trades, telling them that it’s a good option, telling them that they can provide for their family and themselves and give themselves financial freedom and give themselves a tool for their tool belt for later; that’s a big part of what we’re doing out here,” Mosley said.
According to Mosley, the AWS Foundation awarded $34,000 in scholarships throughout the 2023 tour.
The group also offered scholarships during the Farm Science Review.
Naythan Myers was awarded $1,000.
“Welding for me has always just been a passion,” Myers said. “There’s a lot of different things you can do with welding.”
“[Welding] is something that farmers are very good at; maintaining their own equipment, machinery, their facilities and because we have a lot of metal and big iron so to speak on the farm, getting a good hand at welding is something that keeps you operating and running during planning and harvest and other times of the year,” agriculture expert Andy Vance said.
The Ohio State University’s Farm Science Review took place Sept. 17-19 at the Molly Caren Agirucltural Center in Madison Co.
The three-day, annual event highlights agricultural production with 4,000 production lines from more than 600 groups and businesses.
If you have an idea for the Ag Report, a question for Chuck and Andy or you’d like to send a photo of your farm and the work you do, email charles.ringwalt@charter.com.
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