The American Welding Society (AWS) plays a central role in advancing welding competitions that shape the future of the trade. From local contests to the global stage, AWS sets the standards, provides technical expertise, and ensures that every competitor is evaluated against the real-world expectations of today’s welding industry.
This leadership is most visible each June at the SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta—one of the largest workforce development events in the world. More than 6,700 state champions gather to compete across 114 skilled and leadership contests. In welding, AWS oversees the competition from start to finish, working closely with SkillsUSA to guarantee fairness, consistency, and industry relevance.
Through this partnership, AWS not only raises the quality of welding competitions nationwide but also helps students connect with scholarships, industry leaders, and career opportunities that can launch their futures.
The AWS Welding Competition website serves as a central hub where educators, students, and industry partners can access resources and stay informed about competitions at every level—state, national, and international.
Across the country, local, regional, and state welding competitions give students the chance to demonstrate their skills and passion for the trade. These events build toward the SkillsUSA Championships, the national showcase of America’s top career and technical education talent.
At the state level, the American Welding Society (AWS) plays a central role. AWS works alongside SkillsUSA state associations to provide the industry expertise, technical guidance, and volunteer support that shape each competition. To ensure consistency and fairness, the AWS-supported SkillsUSA Welding Committee created a standardized competition framework—so whether a student competes in Texas or Maine, they’re measured against the same high bar.
This partnership allows AWS to help raise the quality of welding competitions across the country, ensuring that state winners are truly prepared for the challenges of the national stage. For competitors, it means more than medals—it’s direct exposure to the standards, expectations, and opportunities of the welding industry that AWS represents.
The American Welding Society (AWS) is committed to shaping the future of welding through its partnership with SkillsUSA. Together, we provide students with a national stage to showcase their skills, gain recognition, and connect directly with the welding industry.
Each year at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, thousands of state champions gather in Atlanta to compete across 114 contests, including welding. AWS volunteers and industry experts contribute their time and knowledge to ensure the welding competition reflects real-world standards and helps prepare students for rewarding careers.
This page serves as your hub for the AWS Welding Competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference—bringing together resources, drawings, links, and updates in one place.
The American Welding Society (AWS) is proud to serve as a global sponsor of the WorldSkills Competition, the largest international showcase of skilled trades. Through this commitment, AWS helps elevate the welding profession worldwide while ensuring the United States is strongly represented on the global stage. The AWS USA WorldSkills Competition Committee oversees the rigorous selection and training process to identify and prepare the nation’s top young welder to compete. From technical guidance and industry mentorship to logistical support, AWS invests in developing a competitor who can stand among the world’s best and inspire the next generation of welders at home and abroad.
The American Welding Society (AWS) manages the pathway that takes a student from U.S. competitions all the way to the WorldSkills Welding Competition, ensuring that America’s top young welder is prepared to compete on the global stage.
The process includes five stages:
Pre-Trial competitors complete WorldSkills welding projects in their home states. The top six submissions advance to the next stage.
The six finalists take part in a one-week preparation and training session led by AWS experts and mentors. This stage is designed to build their skills, knowledge, and readiness for the next phase of the competition.
From the six trained competitors, the top finalists are narrowed down to three through a competition mirroring the WorldSkills Welding Competition. This stage tests technical ability, speed, and accuracy.
The top three competitors face off in a weld-off that mirrors the format and rigor of the WorldSkills Welding Competition. The winner earns a position on the SkillsUSA WorldSkills Team.
After intense AWS-guided training, the U.S. competitor travels to the host city to compete against the world’s best young welders. AWS supports this effort as a global sponsor.
This page spotlights the U.S. Welding Competitor at WorldSkills, supported by the American Welding Society (AWS) and the AWS USA WorldSkills Competition Committee. Here you’ll find details on the upcoming competition—dates, location, and official links—along with a profile of the current U.S. competitor and a look back at past competitors who have represented our country on the world stage.
The Welding Automation Specialist Work Process Schedule & Instruction Outline (Welding Automation Competition Guidelines or Guidelines) offers a clear, consistent structure for welding automation competitions.
Approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Guidelines support instructors, workforce programs, and competition planners with a detailed outline of the skills needed in today’s automated welding environments—from safety and robotics to inspection and tooling.
The AWS Poster Competition is an integral part of the AWS Professional Program. Graphic displays of technical achievements are presented for close, first-hand examination in the Poster Session. Posters present welding results and related material, which are best communicated visually, as well as research results that call for close study of photomicrographs, tables, systems architecture, or other illustrative materials.