Premier High School – Houston (Gallery Furniture North) continues to demonstrate that its students are prepared to meet the growing demand for skilled trades across Texas. Last month, students in the campus’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) Welding Program competed in two major statewide competitions: the Lee College Regional Welding Event in Baytown, Texas, and the Tiger Tough Regional Certification Event in Rockdale, Texas.
At every Texas High School Welding Series (TXHSWS) event, competitors have the opportunity to earn tens of thousands of dollars in tuition scholarships. At the Lee College event alone, students competed for nearly $50,000 in training scholarships.
The competition brought together 29 schools and over 400 student welders from across the state to showcase their abilities in structural welding, fabrication, cutting, and more. Hosted by the TXHSWS, the competition offers students meaningful opportunities for advanced training, employment, and scholarships.
During the event, students also had the chance to receive hands-on feedback from Certified Welding Inspectors (CWIs), HR professionals, shop managers, and industry recruiters. Beyond scholarships, many walk away with professional-grade tools, safety gear, and equipment, as well as nationally recognized industry certifications.
Building on that momentum, Premier welding students competed at the Tiger Tough Regional Competition, which brought together 26 schools and 335 students from across Texas. Only 31 students statewide passed both the required visual inspection and X-ray testing, three of whom were from Premier High School.
In the Level III welding category, Premier High School student Abby T. earned certification and placed 15th overall, achieving the highest-level weld completion ever certified by a Premier student.
Premier students also excelled in the Underwater Welding Competition. Student Emmanuel B. earned first place, taking home the competition banner, a Dive Coin for a special end-of-year dive session, and $2,000 in scholarships from The Ocean Corporation. Altogether, Premier students earned $5,000 in scholarships from the Rockdale event alone.
As the skilled trades labor gap continues to shape the future of the American workforce, welding remains a high-demand career field. Through TXHSWS competitions, welding companies actively recruit high school students, recognizing the talent developing in CTE programs like the one at Premier High School – Houston (Gallery Furniture North).
“Our welding students aren’t just learning to weld; they are learning how to compete and work under pressure,” said campus welding instructor Tim Keener. “They train for long hours, refine their technique, and learn to solve problems independently, all while gaining confidence in a trade that offers immediate job opportunities, strong wages, and long-term stability. We’re incredibly proud of how they represented our campus on a statewide stage. Their performance at the competition is just the beginning of what they will accomplish.”
The welding program at Premier High School – Houston (Gallery Furniture North) continues to grow, offering students a flexible, mastery-based education model, hands-on CTE training, real-world competition experience, and direct pathways to future employment.
Find a Premier High School campus near you to learn about the unique educational opportunities these campuses offer their students. For more information or to apply at Premier High School – Houston (Gallery Furniture North), visit premier-galleryfurniturenorth.com.
