Two welding students place at national competition; hopeful for international
Two College of Eastern Utah welding graduates are part of 24 national winners who have qualified to compete for the very best welder to represent the USA at the World Skills Competition in Helsinki, Finland in May of 2005. CEU former welding graduates Chase Walker and Cole Murray are vying for this prestigious opportunity.
Two College of Eastern Utah welding graduates are part of 24 national winners who have qualified to compete for the very best welder to represent the USA at the World Skills Competition in Helsinki, Finland in May of 2005. CEU former welding graduates Chase Walker and Cole Murray are vying for this prestigious opportunity.
Walker, a 2002 graduate, and Murray, a 2003 graduate, both earned gold medals at Utah’s SkillsUSA competition. Only gold finalists are invited to Kansas City, Missouri for the Skills USA National Competition where Walker placed seventh, while Murray secured fourth place.
CEU is able to send two of its graduates because there final national scores were among the top 24 finalists in the nation for the past two years of national competitions. Both earned associate degrees in applied science by completing 46 hours of welding theory and practicum, and 18 hours of general education. They will test their education and skills as each provide various projects to the US Open Weld Trials Committee.
They will complete 15 standard test plates, 6 pipe coupons, run open root with low hydrogen electrodes and various welding processes in October, November and December. Their next assignment is to complete two stainless steel sheet metal projects and two aluminum sheet metal projects in January.
Their final prequalifying test is welding a pressure tested, pressure vessel in February.
The 24 candidates will be narrowed to six who will complete the final competition in Dallas in March 2005. The winner will receive a $40,000 scholarship with runner ups qualifying for $1,000 scholarships.
The criteria the students work will be judged on includes nondestructive tests (Visual Inspection and Radiographic) side face and root bends on each plate and pipe, the symmetry of welds, proper weld sizes, lack of melt-through to the back side of fillet welds, absence of indentations and porosity, 100 percent penetration on butt and corner welds and cleanliness and finish of each test plate, sheet metal, pipe and pressure vessel submitted.
CEU welding instructors, Lon Youngberg & Mike Tryon are elated two of there students qualified for the international competition. “We have approximately 60 to 80 students enrolled in CEU’s program each year and have a hard time trying to keep them in the program to graduate. Most [students] are offered good paying jobs before they graduate.”
