HANCEVILLE, Ala. – More than 50 vocational students from across Alabama and Tennessee gathered at Wallace State Community College on Friday, Nov. 14, for the second annual TVA Welding Competition. The event was hosted at the WSCC’s Center for Welding Technology and was sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority, with support from the Boilermakers Union.
Melanie Patterson, welding instructor at Wallace State’s Hanceville campus, said the competition serves as an essential recruiting tool. “TVA expects to need around 500 welders in the next three years. They’re here looking for people who can work for them,” she said.
Contestants participated in three welding categories: GTAW pipe welding, SMAW stick welding and FCAW flux-core welding. Judges selected the top entries in each division. Patterson said the competition mirrors the high-pressure environment students will face on job sites. “It’s real-world pressure: deadlines, performance and competing with others.”
Students traveled from multiple community colleges across north Alabama and Tennessee, gaining exposure to potential employers and making industry connections. Many could secure job opportunities quickly. “If they’re interested in the Boilermakers, some could be working by next month,” Patterson said. At the conclusion of the event, Calhoun Community College walked away with the most winners.
She said that welding remains one of the most stable and high-paying skilled trades. She said a former student and recent Wallace graduate who competed last year is already earning more than $45 an hour. “The outlook is robust. There’s a tremendous shortage of welders right now.”
Wallace State’s four-semester welding program takes approximately 16 months to complete and costs around $13,000, which includes the cost of equipment. “If students will invest in themselves and show up every day, this can be a lifelong career,” Patterson said.
