For a full rundown of all of the welding competitions at SkillsUSA, stay tuned for our August issue of Miller’s INSTRUCTOR newsletter. In the meantime, check out these videos from the conference:

American Welding Society President John Mendoza Kicks off Festivities

Opening Ceremony Footage

Brad Clink Interview

Zack Brown Interview

Alex Pazkowski Interview

Closing Ceremony and Team USA Member Announced

Keep posted here throughout the remainder of the week for updates from the championship competitions and other happenings around this exciting industry event.

For photos from the event, keep clicking here. We’ll add more throughout the week: SkillsUSA Photos

“We’ve worked extensively with Miller on the development of this,” says Farron Hollabaugh, director of training, Local 798. “It’s a strong machine that has good arc characteristics. You get the exact same amperage out of it every time you use it as opposed to a DC generator that varies with temperature. They can count on it being the same weld characteristics every time they strike an arc.”

For more information, read the whole story. You’ll also see videos on the event and the pipeline welding history of Bald Knob. You can also visit us at ConExpo (Gold Lot, Booth G-254) to see the machine and talk pipeline welding.

Today wraps up an exciting week of competition here at Fabtech 2010. The final six American SkillsUSA contestants are battling it out for three spots in the Kansas City competition where a champion will be crowned. That champion will move on to represent the U.S. at the World Skills competition. AWS provides the American winner with a $40,000 scholarship provided by Miller

These final six competitors have been narrowed down from 24. Nick Peterson, a former champion, talks about the contest and why it’s important to the industry:

SkillsUSA Video

Here’s a description of the contest from the SkillsUSA website:

Competitors receive contest drawings and a set of welding procedure specifications. All drawings, welding symbols, and welding terms conform to the latest edition of the American Welding Society standards. Through a series of stations, contestants are tested on various aspects of welding: measuring weld replicas, using weld measuring gauges; laying out a plate and using oxy-acetylene equipment to cut several holes that are checked for accuracy and quality; Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) on steel making welds in various positions using short circuiting transfers; Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) using a shielding gas, making welds in various positions and, using a combination machine capable of providing the correct welding current for shielded metal arc (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Competitors complete the steel project and weld an aluminum project in various positions using a variety of filler metals.

We also chatted with folks around the show and the competition about the shortage of skilled welders and why today’s youth should consider this skilled trade:

Pursuing a Career in Welding

What do you think? What will it take to engage today’s youth in a career in welding?

First order of business: welcome to FABTECH 2010. We’re excited to be here again – not that we need the reminder, but as we walk around the convention center and the hotels, we see just how lucky we are to be a part of this industry. FABTECH attendees are some of the most innovative and talented folks you’ll find working today, and we’re honored to be of service to you.

If you find yourself wandering around the hall, please visit us in Hall C, booth # 6811. Tim Temby gives you a brief glimpse into what you’ll see in the Miller booth:

Welcome to FABTECH 2010

We also have a major industry announcement happening today at 9:00 a.m. EST. The press conference gets out at roughly 10 a.m., expect to see the news then. We’ll report back here later in the day with it as well.

As with last year, you can follow along via your preferred social media outlet, or you can see them all at once by visiting our FABTECH social media dashboard: Click here!

Not following Miller online? You can find us here:

Twitter

Facebook

Youtube

We’ll update you from the show floor again later in the day – but in the meantime, what are you excited to see at FABTECH? What do you think are the biggest challenges facing our industry today?

Check out the new Digital Camo helmet and learn more about the benefits of the digital elite series!

Unfortunate as the problem is for the Navy and the company responsible for inspecting and repairing the welds, the situation calls to light the importance of welding—highly skilled welding, specifically—to our national security.

Welding literally holds together the ships, airplanes, tanks and other vehicles that protect our country and its people on a daily basis, and the problems encountered in these ships is evidence of the skill and knowledge required to successfully perform a weld that will endure extreme stress and pressure.

It’s also sadly ironic that this news story emerged just about a week after welding was listed as the fifth worst out of 200 selected careers. The welding industry needs people with the ability and desire to perform the welds critical to our national security, yet surveys like these could discourage those people from considering a career in welding.

On a positive note, the company that builds these ships for the Navy said that it has recertified its welders and inspectors and stepped up its pipe weld inspection system. Hopefully their efforts will result in improved weld integrity and very little downtime for these ships.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you noticed a lack of skill at the highest level of safety-critical welding? Do you believe that companies are not enforcing their welding specifications as strictly as they should? What can be done to show our best and brightest the potential for rewarding and important work within the welding industry? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

The site ranked jobs based on five factors — physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. Although the results are based on what a typical job seeker would look for in a career, welders are often anything but typical and many find the physical demands and work environment to be some of the most rewarding parts of the job. The money can be pretty darn good, too!

Surveys like this fail to reflect the fact that many people thrive on physically demanding work and the rewards of creating things with their own two hands. People like this would never envy the actuary (the top ranked job in the survey) sitting at a desk and staring at numbers on a computer screen all day.

On a more serious note, these types of surveys can actually harm the welding industry by potentially scaring away people who would otherwise enjoy welding as a career or hobby.

They’ve had their chance, now it’s yours. Let’s hear why this Web site is wrong and why welding is a great career. Share your thoughts and stories about how you came to be a welder by posting a comment below.

Although we’ll all be glad to put 2009 behind us, the unfortunate reality is that changing our economic fortunes is not as simple as changing our calendars. Despite some signs that the economy is recovering, many individuals, businesses and industries continue to struggle through the ongoing effects of the recession.

Nevertheless, the new year does provide an opportunity to take a small step back and assess the lessons learned in 2009 and think about how to apply that hard earned knowledge upcoming challenges in 2010.

A common business practice when deciding on a course of action is to perform a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you expect to face in 2010? Do you plan to make any changes to your business in the coming year in response to the ongoing economic slump? Do you expect to see a strong pick-up in business next year, or more of the same?

Tell us what your crystal ball is telling you by posting a comment below

A: You might win a free helmet. B: The Pro eNewsletter is a wealth of information on welding tips, business practices, new products and just about anything that can help you in your day-to-day work.

Wednesday – day 4 – is highlighted by the student program “Manufacturing your Future” at Fabtech & AWS 2009. This program is designed to educate high school students on the benefits of a career in forming, fabricating, welding and manufacturing. Industry mentors will guide students around the show, interact with manufacturers and suppliers, and lay the groundwork for a successful career in the industry.

The Miller booth (#34071) is student-friendly, and we look forward to talking with students and mentors about the pride and accomplishment that accompanies a career in welding. We look forward to seeing you there.