American Welding Society Announces Winner Of The U.S. Open Weld Trials

May 3, 2005: Miami, FL- Joel Stanley, representing Northern Penobscot Tech, Region III, Maine, is the official winner of the 2005 U.S. Open Weld Trials held at The American Welding Society's (AWS) 2005 AWS Welding Show at the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX. His win earned him two gold medals and a $40,000, four-year scholarship sponsored by Miller Electric. Six contestants representing other countries also participated in the US Open Weld Trials. Contestants welded for a total of 22 hours and were judged on various levels and skills.

Stanley will represent the U.S. at the World Skills Competition in Helsinki, Finland at the Helsinki Fair Centre. The World Skills Competition is a bi-annual event where young skilled people compete in various trades and test themselves against international standards. Contestants participate in 34 official competition skills that include technology, industry, and services. About 800 competitors from nearly 40 countries participate in the competition.

For more information on the U.S. Open Weld Trials, visit www.skillsusa.org. World Skills Competition information is available at www.worldskills.org .

The American Welding Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and application of welding and allied processes, including joining, brazing, soldering, cutting, and thermal spraying. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, USA, AWS serves almost 50,000 members throughout the world. In 2005, the AWS Welding Show - the premier trade show for the welding industry - will take place April 26 through April 28 in Dallas, Texas, USA. For more information on AWS programs and publications, visit the Society's Web site, www.aws.org