Even above the low hiss of an open welding studio, the crackle of stingers and torches — no pun intended — cuts through.
This room makes outsiders want to learn a new language. You got your arc and your TIG. Your GTAW and MIG. None of it makes sense if you’re not on the other side of translucent curtains, where sparks pop like tiny fireworks shows reflected in the masks of high schoolers hoping to win the day.
This is the return of the Annual High School Career Center Welding Competition to Spartanburg Community College. The competition is a product of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) and its team of regional workforce advisors, and it’s where students from Upstate high schools and vocational schools collect in SCC’s welding bays to show their skills to potential employers…