Awarded annually, the awards recognise individuals, organisations and educators who have gone above and beyond to promote welding and the skilled trades industries. Membership in AWS or WEMCO is not required.
AWS and WEMCO encourage those in the industry members to nominate peers who excel in one or more of the following categories: individual, educator, educational facility, small business, large business, distributor, AWS section, media and veteran.
Previous winners include Newport News Shipbuilding, Workshops for Warriors, Norco, Coastal Welding Supply, Ferris State University Welding and Technology Program, Jeff Dekrow (Hypertherm) and many more.
History
Source: WEMCO/AWG
In 2015, Mike Rowe, host of the Discover Channel’s Dirty Jobs, was the first recipient of the Exceptional category award for his efforts on behalf of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, that provides scholarships nationwide in support of closing the country’s skills gap.
“The entertainment industry loves to give out awards, and I’ve been honoured with several in the past,” said Rowe. “But for me, the awards that matter most are the ones like this.”
“To be recognised by AWS is better than gratifying. It’s humbling. Because fundamentally, it’s a privilege to speak on behalf of so many good jobs that actually exist and help shine a light on so many great opportunities.”