PA Talent Pipeline Project and Project MFG Host Welding Contest with 400+ Students & 19 Employers at PSI Training Academy

October 12, 2022

On Wednesday, October 12, the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense partnered with the Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project and Project MFG to host the second annual maritime welding competition and career exploration day at the Philly Shipyard, Inc. Training Academy. This collaborative effort, which drew more than 400 students from the region, was organized to raise awareness about well-paying careers in maritime manufacturing such as welding, machining, and logistics, and to provide over 19 employers the opportunity to engage with and begin recruiting such students.

With the focus on engaging a larger pool of potential workers from the Greater Philadelphia region and building careers in the high-demand sector of maritime manufacturing, the event’s sponsors invited 19 employers to have information tables and featured three scheduled tours of facilities at Philly Shipyard, Inc., Rhoads Industries, and Philadelphia Ship Repair, three prominent U.S. navy suppliers located at the Navy Yard. The event offered Philadelphia area students the opportunity to gain real-world experience and exposure to leaders and employers in the defense manufacturing space.

Area students pursuing careers in disciplines like welding, machining, and electrics had the opportunity to network and hear from leaders, such as U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), Philadelphia Councilmember Kathryn Gilmore-Richardson (At-Large), and Admiral Scott Pappano, Program Executive Office, Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN), as well as from recent hires that participated in the Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline in the 2021-22 academic year. The speakers highlighted the critical trade skills gap and need for additional workers in defense manufacturing.

Project MFG’s Welding Competition featured nine technical training programs with 32 local competitors. Competitors are tested on skills required for shipbuilding while competing in a working Naval shipyard. The programs that participated in the maritime-focused welding competition included Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Welder Training and Testing Institute, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, York County School of Technology, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Jules E. Mastbaum High School, Benjamin Franklin High School, Randolph High School, and Edison High School.

The top three welders from each division were:

High School Division

1. Tyler Fenstermaker, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute
2. Ian Blevins, York County School of Technology
3. James Nguyen, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute

Technical College & Programs Division

1. Alex Choone, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
2. Matthew Mykut, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
3. Anthony Laterza, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology