MTI to host annual High School Welding Competition

[April 24, 2015]  EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Midwest Technical Institute invites the public to attend the 2015 High School Welding Competition for juniors and senior students from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 1 at MTI’s East Peoria campus, 280 High Point Lane, East Peoria.

Up to five students from each high school will compete in a number of welding challenges designed to test their skills and promote the value of a hands-on education in today’s competitive job market. Dozens of students from several area high schools are expected to participate in the event.

The competition will award trophies and cash prizes to the top three winners: $500 for a first place finish; $250 for a second place finish; and $100 for a third place finish. The top 10 winners from will also receive a medal in recognition of their achievement.

Established in 2007, the competition offers high school students more than an opportunity to showcase their welding talents. Participants will have the chance to tour the East Peoria campus, meet with faculty and staff and receive valuable information on how to turn their passion into a lifelong, lucrative career.

MTI’s Director of High School Development Eric Gleason believes the competition provides students with a well-rounded look at the skills and work ethic required to be a professional welder.

“The weld competition is designed to allow area high school students to not only showcase their skillset, but also to get a feel for the MTI environment and experience welding at the next level,” said Gleason, who also feels strongly students enjoy putting their hard-earned skills on display for the public, and that the communities surrounding each MTI campus benefit from the event.

“I have been a part of this competition for the past eight years and each year it gets better,” Gleason added. “This event brings awareness to the community that welding is a viable option for anyone, and the buzz in the air when the competition starts is awesome.”

The East Peoria campus offers MTI’s Journeyman Welder I and II Program to train students for employment as professional welders in as little as seven months.

For more information on the welding competition, contact the East Peoria campus at [phone]. For interview requests and other media inquiries, contact MTI’s Director of Marketing at Stacey Wierman at [phone], ext. 1228.

[Nick Ostdick, Midwest Technical Institute]

About Midwest Technical Institute
Midwest Technical Institute offers hands-on training in a number of mechanical trade and allied health career fields to help students succeed as a member of today’s rapidly-changing workforce. MTI, along with its sister school, Delta Technical College, operates seven campuses across the Midwest and Mississippi Delta regions. For more information, visit www.midwesttech.edu.