Contact: Gary Kohn, (608) 757-7769, (608) 436-9578 (cell)
gkohn@blackhawk.edu
Eight area high schools will attempt to create art from junk
JANESVILLE, WI – – Welding as a team sport comes to the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Milton on Friday, May 12, when the Blackhawk Technical College Welding program plays host to the “Junkyard Wars,” an event where teams of high school students create art from junk.
Teams comprised of four students will compete by turning supplied piles of junk into a sculpture over a three-hour period. Blackhawk Technical College will supply the junk, the welding and fabrication equipment, and one welding student per team to assist the high school welders with more complex equipment.
“Part of our college’s mission is to develop a world-class workforce for the twenty-first century,” said Mark Prosser, BTC Welding Instructor. “What better way to cultivate young talent than to have these kids apply what they’ve learned in school and use it in a state of the art facility like our advanced manufacturing training center.”
“Our hope is that by organizing fun competitions like Junkyard Wars, BTC will continue to strengthen our partnerships with area schools and employers while demonstrating some of the exciting possibilities within technical education.
In addition to the welding competition, this FREE event, open to the community, will also feature giveaways and demos provided by Lincoln Electric and Miller, a virtual welding competition (with prizes) and a demonstration by a guest artist.
“Last year we had a lot of interest from the community to watch the students in action so this year we added some features to make it a community event as well as a high school competition,” added Prosser.
Junkyard Wars is based on a cable television program of the same name.
The contest begins at 10 a.m. in the Welding Fabrication Lab at the AMTC, located at 15 Plumb St. Competitors will receive lunch and will be able to learn more about the BTC Welding curriculum. An awards presentation will be held at the conclusion of the competition.
Schools participating include: Beloit Turner, Beloit Memorial, Rock University High School, Clinton, Edgerton, Monroe, Janesville Craig, and Janesville Parker.
ABOUT BLACKHAWK TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Blackhawk Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. BTC has five campus locations in Monroe, Milton, Beloit and Janesville, WI offering more than 50 programs including two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas and short-term technical diplomas. In addition, BTC is a major provider of customized training and technical assistance for the Rock and Green County business community. More than half of all adults living in Wisconsin have accessed the technical colleges for education and training during the last decade.
