High Schoolers Compete in First-Ever Lake Land College Welding Competition

Top-scoring senior to receive $500 tuition scholarship

Mar. 30, 2026 at 12:08am

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More than 50 high school juniors and seniors competed in Lake Land College's inaugural welding event last week, showcasing their metalworking skills and vying for a $500 tuition scholarship for the top-scoring senior. The competition was designed to highlight the college's welding program and the growing demand for skilled tradespeople in Central Illinois.

Why it matters

The welding competition aims to inspire more high school students to pursue careers in the skilled trades, which are seeing a shortage of workers in many regions. By offering scholarships and hands-on experience, the college hopes to attract more young people to its welding program and prepare them for well-paying, long-term jobs that are resistant to automation.

The details

Contestants were judged on various metalworking tasks and had to apply the skills they've learned in their high school welding programs. The college's welding program director, James Crowder, was impressed by the students' tenacity and noted the wide range of opportunities available to skilled welders, who can find work across Illinois, the U.S., and even globally.

  • The welding competition took place last week at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois.
  • The top-scoring senior will receive a $500 scholarship towards tuition at Lake Land College.

The players

Carson Swinford

A high school student who has been in the welding program for two years.

Erik Van Pelt

A teacher at Sullivan High School.

James Crowder

The welding program director at Lake Land College.

Randall Crockett

A representative of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.

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What they’re saying

“'I put my hood down, and everything goes away. All the stress, all the homework...I forget about that.'”

— Carson Swinford, High school student

“'Because they have a time limit, they have to be able to actually apply what they've been told.'”

— Erik Van Pelt, Sullivan High School teacher

“'You can see the ones come out that are on cloud nine and think they really did well, and there are other ones that're beating themselves because they feel they could have done better.'”

— James Crowder, Welding program director, Lake Land College

“'It is a skill set that you can take with the rest of your life. You can stay in Illinois, you can stay in our district here. You can go to California. You can work anywhere in the world as a welder if you please.'”

— James Crowder, Welding program director, Lake Land College

“'There's so much potential for a lifelong career, a pension at the end of that career and good, high-paying jobs that will not be replaced by AI anytime in the near future.'”

— Randall Crockett, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Representative

What’s next

The college plans to make the welding competition an annual event, providing high school students with more opportunities to showcase their skills and potentially earn scholarships to continue their welding education at Lake Land College.

The takeaway

This welding competition highlights the growing demand for skilled tradespeople, especially in the Midwest, and the efforts of local colleges and high schools to inspire the next generation of welders. By offering hands-on experience and financial incentives, Lake Land College is working to build a pipeline of talented workers to fill the region's need for welding professionals.