Welding Competition Draws 55 High School Students From 14 Schools to Lake Land

Lake Land College Board of Trustees Meeting | May 11, 2026

Article Summary: A first-time welding competition hosted at Lake Land College brought 55 high school students from 14 schools to campus, paired with career and technical education tours, employer judges and job fair tables — and organizers plan to bring it back next year.

Welding Competition Key Points:

• The event grew from a request roughly 18 months ago by Eastern Illinois Education for Employment Systems, whose district students had been traveling to Springfield for welding competitions.
• Eight sponsors and judges participated; the top senior received nearly $1,500 in prizes plus a $500 tuition fee waiver to Lake Land College.
• Coverage by WEIU, the Mattoon Journal-Gazette and WCIA spread the event’s reach, including to a welding academy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

MATTOON — Lake Land College trustees on Monday, May 11, 2026, heard a presentation on a first-time high school welding competition hosted on campus that drew 55 students — both dual credit and non-dual credit, juniors and seniors — from 14 schools, including South Vermillion Technical School from Indiana.

The presentation, part of the board’s recurring Focus on Advancing Student Success segment, was delivered by Director of Dual Credit and Honors Experience Tessa Wiles, Perkins Specialist Joy Kaurin, Dual Credit Events and Onboarding Specialist Ashlyn Paige, Welding Instructor/Coordinator James Crowder, and Division Chair for Technology and Business Brian Madlem.

The idea originated approximately 18 months ago, when Eastern Illinois Education for Employment Systems approached the college’s dual credit office about district students traveling to Springfield for welding competitions. The team decided to host a competition at Lake Land instead, with Perkins funding supporting the event because welding was a recent program-of-study focus.

Beyond the competition itself, students toured campus career and technical education facilities — including automotive, John Deere Tech, technology courses, CAD, building construction, Ag Power, CDL and the CBE lab — and learned about campus resources through games and tours of student services.

Eight sponsors and judges took part: five chose to both sponsor and judge, two sponsored only, and one union representative judged. Three businesses brought human resources representatives for job fair tables, and business partners gave students feedback on areas for improvement. Random door prizes were provided, professional welding gear was awarded to high school welding shops and to the top three students, and the top senior received nearly $1,500 worth of prizes plus a $500 tuition fee waiver to Lake Land College.

WEIU, the Mattoon Journal-Gazette and WCIA covered the competition; WCIA’s post reached a welding academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, and more than half of participating high schools posted about the event on social media. High schools have since reached out to business partners for tours and further discussions.

The event qualified as a team-based challenge under the CCPE framework and as a dual credit activity within the Perkins Plan. Organizers said it will be held again next year with anticipated growth, will be written into the fiscal year 2027 Perkins plan, and that discussions are underway to replicate similar competitions in other areas, particularly business programs.