A nationally touring welding academy will stop at a Kansas town this week.

 

Western Welding Academy out of Gillette, Wyoming will stop in Canton, KS tomorrow as part of their Blue Collar Tour. Around 50,000 schools apply to be part of the tour that stops at high and trade schools around the country, and Canton, which is near McPherson, is one of 30 stops selected.

 

Western Welding Academy Creative Director Beau Barkley says it's no secret that more workers are needed in the trades, and he says it's important to connect with young people on their level to get them excited about blue-collar career possibilities.

 

Barkley says with the rise of artificial intelligence and increasing college costs, he hopes this tour will encourage more students to consider the alternative of a high-paying blue-collar job.

 

The tour will be in Canton tomorrow from 8 a.m. through noon.