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HGTC to Host 41st Annual Statewide Welding Skills Competition
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is honored to serve as the host site for the South Carolina Technical Colleges 41st Annual Welding Skills Competition, scheduled for April 24-25, 2025. The event will take place at HGTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Center – Welding Lab located at 250 Allied Drive in Conway, South Carolina.
The annual competition promotes excellence in welding while providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in high-demand industry processes. Open exclusively to students currently enrolled in South Carolina Technical College curriculum welding programs, the event will feature competitors from across the state including Tri-County Technical College, Spartanburg Community College, Midlands Technical College, York Technical College, and Florence-Darlington Technical College.
"Horry-Georgetown Technical College is honored to welcome South Carolina’s most talented welding students to our Conway Campus,” said HGTC President Dr. Marilyn “Murph” Fore. “We’re proud to support workforce development in a field that is critically important to our region’s growing industries.”
The Grand Strand and Pee Dee regions have seen a sharp rise in demand for skilled welders, particularly within power plants, process piping, and pharmaceutical plants. Local employers consistently seek welders with experience in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), among others. Salary ranges for welders in the region currently average between $18.00 to $35.00 per hour, depending on the industry and level of specialization.
“At HGTC, we prepare our welding students for careers that are waiting for them the day they graduate,” said Jeff Ball, HGTC Chair and Professor of Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Development. “Since 2014, we’ve maintained a job placement rate of 95 to 100 percent. Our industry partners stay closely connected through advisory board meetings and regularly contact us with new job opportunities for our graduates. It’s a strong, ongoing collaboration that benefits our students and our economy.”
Competition Schedule:
Thursday, April 24, 2025
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Competitor Registration, Practice, and Booth Assignments
Friday, April 25, 2025
7:30 AM: Judges Orientation
8:30 AM: Welcome and Orientation
8:45 AM: Introduction of Judges
9:00 AM: Machine Set-up and Final Practice
9:30 AM: Practical Welding Tests Begin
12:30 PM: End of Practical Welding Tests, Clean-up and Inspection
1:00 PM: Lunch and Awards Ceremony (HGTC Main Campus, Café 1100)
Participants Depart
Competitors will showcase their talents across six challenging categories using processes such as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) on carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Judging criteria will include quality, time, and safety, and all procedures will follow current American Welding Society (AWS) standards.
HGTC is proud to support technical excellence and workforce readiness through events like this and looks forward to celebrating the accomplishments of South Carolina’s future welding professionals.