AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY, INC., AND AWS FOUNDATION FINANCIAL REPORT BOD approved an additional $4 million geared toward welder training, a key focus taken on by the Foundation. We received survey data results indicating AWS is making an impact in alleviating the shortage of welders. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. Our 53-foot Careers-in-Welding trailer containing virtual welding machines, sponsored by one of our partners, continues to give us visibility. This mobile exhibit will continue through 2017. In 2015, the Foundation paid for its own operating expenses for the first time using the earnings from the $20 million transfer made in 2013 by the Society to make the Foundation “self-supporting.” Total operating expenses were $1.27 million for 2015. Contributions received in 2015 and matched under the current 100% matching program amounted to $709,000. A total of $2,735,100 was utilized from the $4 million transfer mentioned above to match existing and new Section and District Scholarships. Since 1991, when the AWS Foundation began offering scholarships, more than $7 million has been awarded. In 2015, the AWS Foundation awarded $645,000 in scholarships to more than 500 recipients. Our Scholarship Wall with named bricks continues to fill up. You can get your individualized brick, and the proceeds from the sale will go toward scholarships for future welding students. Your name can be added to this monumental wall. To find out how you can help in the mission of alleviating the welder workforce shortage, please contact Sam Gentry at sgentry@aws.org. AWS Highlights for 2015 Convention The FABTECH Show had a greater turnout than anticipated. It was another successful year in Chicago with record high attendees, exhibitors, and square footage. The welding portion of the show had 614 welding exhibitors. Exhibit space for the entire show (all technologies) was 732,345 NSF with 43,836 attendees and 1641 exhibitors, including welding, forming/fabrication, tube and pipe, finishing and stamping. Our show in Mexico (WELDMEX) has shown steady growth, and attendance was close to 11,100. Total overall square footage in Mexico was 109,900 NSF in comparison to 92,400 NSF in 2014. Educational Services Revenues were $6.8 million including $1.3 million in online courses. Online product sales increased by 68.5% over the prior year. Innovation plays a key role in our educational products. We are committed to investing in bringing higher standards and enhanced learning. Great efforts continue to be devoted to online development, as well as revisions and updates to our existing educational materials. Our task at hand is to teach and provide the body of knowledge while delivering the experience. We launched our Learning Library. It contains 126 modules of digital content for use by companies and educational organizations wishing to augment their welder training curricula. WeldLink — our career planning and management system specifically designed to bring together individuals, businesses, and schools in the welding industry – is now available, so please make sure you tap into this resource. Weldink mobile capabilities will be coming soon. Membership Member dues revenues increased by 8.8% over the prior year. We continue to work on recruiting individual members worldwide. Our core emphasis is to add value to our membership. Our overall membership count was 72,516. International and student membership represents 15.4% and 16.7% of the Society’s member base, respectively. We are working on a membership community platform; stay tuned for more information. 38 WELDING JOURNAL / JUNE 2016
Welding Journal | June 2016
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