RADNOR, PA and BIG RAPIDS, MI — Airgas recently announced the company made a large donation of personal protective equipment (PPE), valued at $50,000, to Ferris State University (FSU) for its welding engineering program. This donation of PPE continues a corporate partnership that began in 2015 with donations of shielding gas used in the school’s welding program.
Airgas was No. 9 on Industrial Distribution's 2015 Big 50 List.
During a ceremony at FSU’s Weld Lab on March 24, Airgas donated enough welding jackets, hoods, gloves and safety glasses to meet the needs of FSU’s welding students for one year. The students would otherwise have to purchase their own PPE, which can cost several hundred dollars per person. The company also donated all shielding gases used in the program for the second year in a row.
Together, these donations help support the operationof FSU’s welding engineering technology program, which is designed to produce plant-level welding engineering technology graduates who are involved in the concept, design and engineering of weldments and implementation of welding processes. The program is the largest of its kind in the U.S., currently serving approximately 170students from freshmen to seniors.
Airgas representatives joined FSU welding students and faculty of the University’s Welding Engineering Program at the ceremony on Thursday, where they spoke about the donation and the future of the welding industry.
“Our partnership with Ferris State University demonstrates Airgas’ commitment to supporting the welding trade and reducing the current shortage of skilled welders in the United States,” saidDan Sheets, Director – Advanced Fabrication, NorPac Region. “Programs like FSU’s welding engineering technology program are critical to keeping metal fabrication jobs in the U.S., and we are proud to play a role in the education of these students, who represent the future of our nation’s welding industry.”
The American Welding Society estimates there will be a shortage of nearly 300,000 welding-related professionals to fill positions vacated by retiring welders, inspectors, engineers and teachers by 2020.
