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Sparks flew at the Terry L. Bruce West Richland Center as welding students from across Illinois Eastern Community Colleges tested their skills in a first-of-its-kind intramural welding competition. The event brought together students from Lincoln Trail College, Olney Central College, and the West Richland Center for a full day of hands-on competition, collaboration, and feedback from industry professionals.
The idea for the competition had been simmering for years.
鈥淭his actually started as a dream of one of our instructors several years ago,鈥 said Amy Tarr, who supervises IECC鈥檚 welding programs. 鈥淚t kind of floated away and it didn鈥檛 really happen, but then we were in a pre-advisory committee meeting with our Perkins coordinator, Rob Jackman, and we started talking about the fact that we needed to have some intercollegiate competition. That really was the spark that got all of this going.鈥
Welding instructors and staff from multiple campuses came together to plan the event, and according to Tarr, it was truly a team effort.
鈥淥ur welding instructors, Rob with Perkins, and I just kind of started putting all the pieces together,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we got to today.鈥
Students participated in two main events: a plate test and a fabrication challenge. Both were judged using real-world welding standards by experienced professionals from the field. The format was designed to mirror the kinds of tests students might face when applying for jobs in the trades.
鈥淥ne of the goals we want to have is the ability to have competition and go head to head against another student studying the same subject so you鈥檙e job ready,鈥 said Rob Jackman. 鈥淎 lot of students are going to feel that they are job ready after today.鈥
Jackman emphasized that input from industry judges is more than just a formality鈥攊t helps shape IECC鈥檚 curriculum.
鈥淥ur industry stakeholders help guide the program itself鈥攖he curriculum, the sequencing, the workforce needs,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ithout their input, without their judging, without their discussion with us, we wouldn鈥檛 be able to meet those needs.鈥
For Reno Bemont, an instructor at Lincoln Trail College, the event revealed just how far his students had come鈥攅specially under tight constraints.
鈥淥ur kids were only there two days a week, and we didn鈥檛 get a whole lot of time to practice,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut one of the things that I saw today was my students really came together and were concerned about each other and helping each other out as much as they possibly could.鈥
Bemont also noted that students grew in their independence and problem-solving.
鈥淭hey had to go by their own leads,鈥 he said. 鈥淭heir instructors couldn鈥檛 tell them what they needed to do next. And I think they understood better when it came to critical thinking.鈥
Instructors said that beyond the technical aspects, the event helped reinforce the values of teamwork and mutual support鈥攕kills that matter on the job just as much as weld quality.
The event also gave students a chance to connect with their peers from other campuses.
鈥淭his was our first intramural welding competition,鈥 said Maverick Fisher, welding instructor at Olney Central College. 鈥淚t came about as a way to just kind of push each other and kind of get to come together as three different schools. That was a good way for us to all collaborate.鈥
Fisher explained that students were tested in a 6010 open root plate weld, a 2G 7018 plate weld, and a fabrication challenge that required precise measurements and teamwork.
鈥淎ll of the tests were judged by three judges from the industry,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think everybody did really, really well. The judges were saying it was hard to find a bad one.鈥
Fisher said the day also helped students prepare for the pressure of real-world testing environments.
鈥淭his is still a lot less pressure, but I think it gave them a little taste of what it鈥檚 going to be like when they go to their first actual weld test to get hired on somewhere,鈥 he said.
Alongside college students, dual credit high school students also participated, giving younger welders an opportunity to test their skills early.
鈥淚t was really neat to be in the meeting room and to see the different schools, the different ages, the kids together,鈥 said Tarr. 鈥淲e have dual credit welding, we have a one-semester certificate, a two-semester certificate, and then an Associate鈥檚 Degree. Our hope for these kids is that they鈥檒l work their way all the way through and complete that Associate鈥檚 Degree.鈥
Organizers say the success of the inaugural competition has already sparked conversations about next year鈥檚 event.
鈥淚 just hope that later on we get to do this again in the future,鈥 said Bemont.