Time Running Out for Area Welders to Register for First “Día De Los Muertos” Welding Competition Set for Nov. 4; Registration deadline is Oct. 28
Welding Applied Technology Program encourages Coastal Bend’s Dual Credit high school and college students and professional welders to sign up; public invited to view competition and attend DMC Industrial Technology Department career exploration fair
Article by Melinda Eddleman
If you’re a welder or training to become one and like to compete, there’s still time to register for the Del Mar College (DMC) Welding Applied Technology Program’s first “Día Del Los Muertos” Welding Competition scheduled next Friday, Nov. 4. All Coastal Bend Dual Credit high school and college students and professional welders interested in this event need to register by this Friday, Oct. 28.
Entry fees are $25 for both Dual Credit high school and college students and $250 for welding professionals. Contact Samuel Garcia, Assistant Professor of Welding Applied Technology, at 361-698-1898 or sgarcia171@delmar.edu.
Competition will be held 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the College’s Windward Campus at 4101 Old Brownsville Road (78405) in the Welding Labs of the Metals Technology Building and the Workforce Development Center. Get online directions and campus map.
Welding categories include pipe, plate, SMAW, Combo GTAW/SMAW and “Best of the Best” Industry Welders Pipe/GTAW. Student competitors have the chance to win DMC scholarships, belt buckles, equipment and DMC Welding ball caps while industry professionals can win cash prizes, including $1,000 and additional items for first place, $750 for second place and $250 for third place.
Current sponsors include Pipeliners Cloud and Weld Porn as well as the following vendors: AirGas, Coastal Welding Supplies and Gas and Supply. Lincoln Electric has also donated prizes. Organizers are still recruiting sponsors and vendors for this event with sponsorship levels as follows: Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500). Interested individuals and companies in the industry can make donations online through the DMC Foundation at https://give.delmar.edu/weld2022. Questions can also be directed to Samuel Garcia at 361-698-1898 or sgarcia171@delmar.edu.
Want to learn more about the welding industry or other programs that Del Mar College offers through the Industrial Technology Department? The event is also open to spectators, who can watch the competitors demonstrate their skills as well as attend the Career Exploration Fair scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Metals Technology Building. Participants can learn about career opportunities and speak directly with faculty who teach in the College’s Environmental/Petrochemical Lab Technology, Industrial Instrumentation, Industrial Machining, Millwright (Industrial Maintenance Mechanic), Nondestructive Testing Technology, Process Technology and Welding Applied Technology Programs. Representatives from the College’s Dual Credit Program, Student Outreach and Enrollment Services and other offices will also be available to answer questions about becoming a Viking at Del Mar College!
Industry vendors will also be set up in the same location from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for spectators and competitors to visit and learn about the latest equipment and technology used in the welding field.
“We’re fired up about this competition and hope welders from across the area will get heated up, too, and participate,” says Garcia. “This event is a great way to showcase the field while also highlighting other career training opportunities offered through the Industrial Technology Department that prepare our graduates for high-demand, high-paying jobs in the Coastal Bend.”
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.