5th Annual NH State Welding Competition

New Hampshire State Welding Competition Raises $21,000 for Local CTE Programs

On May 16, more than two dozen students from nine high schools across New Hampshire competed in the fifth annual New Hampshire State Welding Competition, a collaborative effort between SFNE, AISC, and sponsoring organizations. Held at Manchester Community College, this year’s competition raised more than $21,000, benefiting the career and technical education (CTE) programs that have helped each competitor hone their skills—and introduced them to potential employers and mentors in the process.

Competitors had four hours to complete their assigned MIG, TIG, and stick welding processes. The top three welders received individual prizes in addition to metal plaques for their schools. All 27 participants took home sponsor-donated equipment.

Third-place winner James Karafelis raised $2,144 for the CTE program at Alvirne High School (Hudson, N.H.), second-place winner Cole Eaton raised $3,216 for Pinkerton Academy, and top competitor Brayden Laflamme raised $5,361 for John Stark High School (Weare, N.H.).