Arizona Western College sparks a trail of trained welders as shortages in the welding industry persists

News 11's Chennell Ramos spoke to AWC's welding team as they prepare for a national competition next month

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - There's a shortage of 300,000 welders nationwide, according to the American Welding Society.

Arizona Western College (AWC) is replenishing the industry by training future welders here at home.

Behind the doors of the Ernest Lopez Welding Institute, the sparks fly as future welders are made.

The AWC welding team will be representing the state of Arizona in the national competition in Atlanta, Georgia next month.

The team consists of five team members with a variety of welding expertise.

Professor Bobby Alvarado has been in the industry for more than two decades, was also trained at AWC.

Alvarado says, “It’s been a fun journey, we are not quite to an end yet, as we are looking to compete at the national competition, however we are putting in a lot of hard work.”

Under Alvarado’s instruction, the team has secured regional and state welding titles.

Team leader Patrick Vanfleet is confident in his team members' ability and is ready to bring the national trophy home to Yuma.

Vanfleet says, “It’s gonna be exciting, it's a little nervous, nerve-wracking at first but just doing what we know how to do, stick with our training and we’ll do fine.”

Historically a male dominated industry where women make up only six percent of the welding industry.

Rose Rivera, the only female team member says, "Women can also weld too…we also have a female professor that does it…so I find that pretty cool, just to look up to another female, that’s pretty great at it.”