As seen on KARK Channel 4 News.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Nearly 400 students from across Central Arkansas got a hands-on look at careers in welding and steel fabrication Wednesday during Lexicon’s largest Steel Day event to date.
Lexicon hosted the event in partnership with the American Welding Society and the American Institute of Steel Construction, giving students the chance to tour the company’s facility, take part in demonstrations, and try virtual welding simulations.
Organizers said the event comes as the welding industry continues to face a shortage of skilled workers nationwide. The American Welding Society says the country will need hundreds of thousands of new welding professionals by 2030.
Mason Raggio, a student at Mills University Studies High School, said the trade offers students another path after graduation.
“It provides a life for you if you take it serious; you don’t have to go to college, it’s a lot better,” Raggio said.
Raggio said he is interested in the opportunity to work with his hands and help build highways, infrastructure, and other projects people rely on every day.
“You’ve got to be a good welder to do that stuff because that’s your safety, that’s where people drive, and that’s where you are,” Raggio said.
Joshua Burgess, president of the American Welding Society, said skilled craftspeople will continue to be needed even as technology advances throughout the industry.
“The skilled craftsmen will always be needed, so it’s important for students to hear that they’re in demand,” Burgess said.
Industry leaders also told students that skilled trades can provide strong pay, benefits, job security and opportunities for advancement without necessarily requiring a traditional four-year college degree.
“The pendulum is starting to swing backwards where skilled trades are making great money right out of high school,” Burgess said. “You can absolutely go to college and make a career, but it’s not the only choice.”
Organizers said events like Steel Day are designed to expose students to those career options early and help build the next generation of workers needed in Arkansas and across the country.
