Forging Futures

Wallace State Welding Competition Highlights TVA's Commitment to Skilled Trades

The clang of torches and the spark of ambition lit up Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama, on Nov. 14, as more than 80 students from across the Valley region competed in the second annual TVA-sponsored welding competition.

Hosted in partnership with local technical programs, TVA’s union partner the Boilermakers and the Labor Relations team, the event highlighted the technical talent of emerging tradespeople and TVA’s deep investment in the future of its skilled workforce.

Showcasing talent and opportunity

College students from Tennessee and Alabama demonstrated their skills across multiple welding processes. Winners were recognized in each category:

Gas tungsten arc welding tube (GTAW 6G), which required students to bond two ends of a tube together.

Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW 2G, 3G, 4G), a process that uses a continuous wire-fed electrode with an inner core.

Shielded metal arc welding plate (SMAW 2G, 3G, 4G), which is a common but manual technique.

“This competition is more than a contest – it's a pipeline,” said Josh Kennedy, senior consultant of TVA Labor Relations. “We’re building relationships with the next generation of tradespeople who will help maintain and modernize TVA’s infrastructure for decades to come.”

Trades and TVA’s workforce strategy

The competition aligns with TVA’s broader workforce development goals, recognizing that skilled trades are not just support roles – they are strategic assets. From welders and electricians to machinists and mechanics, these professionals are essential to TVA’s mission of delivering reliable, low-cost energy to the people of the Valley region.

TVA’s teams work diligently to leverage powerful partnerships that help build a skilled workforce – a workforce that’s ready and able to build tomorrow together and ensure our nation’s energy security.

Looking ahead

“What you’re studying and the trade you’re mastering is not just a job, it’s a lifelong career,” Heather Montgomery, senior director of TVA Labor and Employee Relations, told the students. “TVA and our union partners have a lot of work to do over the next two decades, and we need your help to get it done.”

After lunch, the top three winners for each category were announced, with Calhoun Community College recognized for having the most winners from their institution.

“We’ve seen incredible growth in participation and feedback about the event,” said Randy Hammond, department chair at Wallace State Community College. “I think events like this show students that TVA, colleges like Wallace State and our union partners are truly invested in their futures. It gives them a glimpse at what a career in a skilled trade field could look like.”