Metal Supermarkets has unveiled its 2025 Trade School Scholarship recipients, awarding $2,500 each to four dedicated students across Canada and the United States. The initiative highlights the company’s commitment to supporting the skilled trades amid an escalating need for welding professionals.
Recent projections indicate that North America will require over 320,000 welding professionals by 2029, with roughly 80,000 positions needing to be filled annually between now and then. In response, Metal Supermarkets launched its scholarship program in 2022, and has since awarded a total of $40,000 to promising trades students.
“As we forge ahead, our commitment to nurturing the next generation of skilled trades workers remains steadfast,” said Ryan Pryznyk, President and CEO of Metal Supermarkets. He added that this year’s recipients embody the dedication and talent that the industry needs.
The awardees include Bryce Bain from Oklahoma, who is pursuing certification as a welding inspector at Tulsa Welding School; Kristina Glasow from South Carolina, training at WyoTech to specialize in classic car restorations; Jackson Owens from Minnesota, studying industrial welding and balancing a mobile welding business while mentoring others; and Jadea Smith from Ontario, a registered apprentice preparing for a welder-fitter mechanical technician program at Canadore College.
The panel that selected the winners included both corporate staff and franchisees from locations across North America. This diverse involvement reflects Metal Supermarkets’ franchise community investing directly in workforce development.
By aligning its scholarship initiative with a critical industry need, Metal Supermarkets demonstrates how franchisor-led programs can reinforce both brand values and practical solutions to labor shortages.
