PROVE YOUR SKILL.
REPRESENT YOUR SCHOOL.
High school welders go head to head for a chance at scholarships and prizes.
Build confidence under pressure, earn recognition for your program, and make real connections inside the welding industry.
2026–27 SERIES SCHEDULE
All stops are confirmed. Choose the location that works for you and register below.
Trailblazer Academy
Harrodsburg, KY
Registration closes September 30, 2026
Franklin County CTC
Frankfort, KY
Registration closes October 30, 2026
Green County ATC
Greensburg, KY
Registration closes November 27, 2026
Big Sandy Community College
Paintsville, KY
Registration closes January 1, 2027
Murray/Calloway ATC
Murray, KY
Registration opens soon.
UA Local 392
Cincinnati, OH
Registration opens soon.
Breckinridge County ATC
Hardinsburg, KY
Registration opens soon.
KWI National Senior Welding Contest
Hardinsburg, KY
Registration opens soon.
WHY COMPETE
Last year hundreds of students competed across multiple locations in Kentucky for prizes and scholarships. This year's events will be even better — the Bluegrass Welding Series lets welders showcase their skillset in direct competition and build confidence for a successful career.
SHARPEN YOUR HAND
Competition puts your bead under a stopwatch and AWS measurable criteria — not a judge's opinion. Nothing grows a welder's skill faster than welding when it counts.
REPRESENT YOUR SCHOOL
You compete for your program. The top three finishers from each school make up your school's team, and strong showings put your welding shop and instructor on the map across Kentucky.
GET IN THE INDUSTRY
Contest day puts you in the same room as instructors and welding professionals. Every participant gets a scholarship, a tee shirt, and lunch is provided at each event.
CHASE SCHOLARSHIPS & PRIZES
Every competitor earns a $500 scholarship. The top five take home up to $3,000, plus prizes from tool sets to welding hoods and gear.
COMPETITION DETAILS
Everything you need to know about the Bluegrass Welding Series.
- Purpose
- The Bluegrass Welding Series lets welders showcase their skillset in direct competition with other welders — helping students gain confidence in their abilities and pursue a successful career in welding.
- Who Can Compete
- While based on Kentucky, any student across the U.S. can compete. Each event supports up to 100 high school competitors from grades 9–12. Registration is initially limited to 5 students per school; the 5-student limit is removed one week before the event, so schools may add additional welders if space permits.
- Projects
- Projects vary for each event. Vague plans and drawings are released a couple weeks prior — prints may include some measurements but will be missing welding symbols. Completed drawings are released only at the event. The process or processes used will also be shared ahead of time so schools can prepare. KWI has partnered with WelderMade.com, which supplies all projects for National SkillsUSA Welding — contestants will weld some of these WelderMade projects at selected BWS events.
- Scoring
- Contestants' projects are scored using the American Welding Society Guideline for Welding Competition Organization and Weld Assessment criteria — not a judge's opinion. A judge measures each weld (for example, the deepest measurable undercut) and bubbles the answer on a scan-tron-style form. Weld size, porosity, weld length and pitch, project assembly, other discontinuities, and safety are all evaluated.
- Points
- All events are based on a score of 100 possible points, applied according to the difficulty of the weld, safety, and assembly. *New for 2026/27: the top ten finishers in each event earn bonus points for placement, so students who excel at one process but struggle with another can still compete throughout the season.
- School Team Award
- The top three finishers from each school comprise the school's team, and a separate award goes to the top-finishing team at each event. Schools must designate five students from which the team is chosen prior to competition; a school can have only one team even if more than five students compete. Team prizes include shop supplies, welding tools, and welding rods.
- PRIZES & SCHOLARSHIPS
- Every competitor who competes at each event receives a $500 scholarship. The top five finishers earn $3,000 (1st), $2,500 (2nd), $2,000 (3rd), $1,500 (4th), and $1,000 (5th). Additional prizes range from tool sets to welding hoods and gear. All participants receive a tee shirt.
- Series Champion
- The series champion is crowned at the final event on April 3 at the KWI National Senior Welding Contest. The champion receives a one-of-a-kind commemorative Outlaw Leather welding hood, a Lincoln Electric welding machine, plus additional prizes and scholarships.
All four 2026–27 series stops are confirmed. See the full schedule and registration below.
ADVISORS & INSTRUCTORS
Bringing a group? Register your students through the form below so we can plan capacity at each host school. Designate five students for your school team prior to competition.
Register up to five students per school initially — the limit is removed one week before the event if space remains.
Want to weld Thursday evening? Contact Ashley Applegate directly after completing registration below.
Bring students into a real competition environment scored on measurable AWS criteria.
REGISTER TO COMPETE
Takes under a minute. Spots at each host school are limited.