Students put Mind Over Metal in summer welding program

Students going into Grade 9 in the fall will learn to put Mind Over Metal at welding camps this summer.

The programs hosted by the CWB Welding Foundation and the Algoma District School Board are designed to teach the basics of welding and get students interested the trade.

Camps run from July 4 - 8, and July 11 - 15 in Blind River and Sault Ste. Marie, with breakfast and lunch being provided each day.

More details on the camps are available in the ADSB press release, included below.

As part of an effort to build and sustain a highly skilled Canadian welding workforce, CWB Welding Foundation is introducing students ages 12-15 to the trade through a Mind Over Metal welding camp for youth, to be held for Algoma District School Board (ADSB) students in Sault Ste Marie and Blind River.

“These camps are designed to provide youth with a hands-on introduction to welding and inspire them to pursue a career in welding. Students build confidence and have fun while being supervised by professionals in a safe environment,” said Susan Crowley, executive director, CWB Welding Foundation. “Through experiential learning opportunities like the Mind Over Metal welding camps, their newly sparked interest in welding may lead to further education and employment.”

CWB Welding Foundation Mind Over Metal camps encourage youth to explore the welding skilled trade through hands-on experiences. The camps bring light to potential career opportunities available in the welding industry and aim to increase the number of individuals in Canada who are entering welding skilled trades training, and work to address the need for skilled welding professionals. The Canadian welding industry provides many great and diverse career opportunities, including welder, welding inspector, in welding research and engineering. The CWB Welding Foundation hosted its first welding camp in Edmonton in the summer of 2014, and to date has completed nearly 170 camps across Canada.

The Algoma District School Board is pleased to be running three Mind Over Metal welding camps this summer. ADSB is very grateful for the partnerships with Tenaris and CWB Welding Foundation whose generosity and funding are allowing these camps to take place. We also appreciate the support of the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 800.

Algoma District School Board Director of Education Lucia Reece shared, “We want our students to graduate from our schools both excited about and prepared for their futures. By offering the Mind Over Metal welding camps, students experience a new learning opportunity with industry experts and in learning spaces specific to welding. We’re excited that this opportunity may spark an interest for a student while creating a potential pathway to employment after graduation.”

All ADSB Mind Over Metal camps are for students who have completed Grade 8 and are going into Grade 9 in the fall. Two camps are geared at male and female indigenous students. One of these camps is being hosted at W.C. Eaket Secondary School for students from Serpent River, Blind River and surrounding area, July 4 to 8, 2022. The second is being hosted at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 800 the week of July 11 to 15, 2022. ADSB’s third Mind Over Metal Camp is designed specifically for female students and will run July 4 to 8 again at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 800.

All camps will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with breakfast and lunch being provided each day. Welding safety, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), introduction to weld symbols, and a brief overview of the impact welding has on our daily lives will be part of the camp. Once the theoretical portion is completed, students will have fun putting their practical welding skills to the test while they create their very own projects like cow bells, and a metal rose.

For more information about camp programming, contact the CWB Welding Foundation at [email protected] .