Date of Event: 04/16/2024
Location: Taft College Welding Facility 809 Black Gold Ct. Taft, CA 93268
Number of Attendees: 122
Presenter/Notable Guest(s): Kip Williamson – Krazan and Associates – Owner
Willie Stubblefield – Miller Electric – Process Specialist
Bryan Payne – Taft College – Welding Instructor
Aarron Payne – Taft College – Welding Instructor
George Niday – AWS Kern 170 Chairman
Josh Bradley – AWS Kern 170 Vice Chair
Sandy Ross – AWS Kern 170 Secretary
Eric Ross – AWS Kern 170 Treasurer
Dave Ebenhoe – AWS Kern 170 Educational Coordinator
Alisyn Palla – AWS Kern 170 Board Member
Alyssa Hart – AWS Kern 170 Board Member
Event Summary: The Taft College AWS Open House is a combined effort between the college and the local AWS section to bring high school students into the college and reinforce the possibilities of continuing their education in welding. We provide food, raffle prizes, and a welding competition where the students compete for prizes. This year we had 21 students compete in total and served food to 122 people who attended the event to watch and support their students. We invited several CWI’s to judge the competition based on acceptance criteria for structural welding code, which helps the students understand what is expected of them out in the work force.
