Metal Supplier Doubles Scholarships for Trade Students

Eight students across the U.S. and Canada are celebrating life-changing news: they've each won $2,500 to pursue their dreams in the skilled trades.

Metal Supermarkets, a metal supplier with over 140 stores, announced this year's Trade School Scholarship recipients in August 2026. The company doubled its scholarship funding from $10,000 to $20,000, recognizing the urgent need for skilled workers in fields like welding, machining, and automotive technology.

The timing couldn't be better. Over 320,000 welding professionals will be needed in the U.S. by 2029, while Canada needs more than 256,000 skilled tradespeople over the next decade. The shortage gets worse as five tradespeople retire for every two new workers entering the field.

This year's winners come from diverse backgrounds and programs. Gabriel Rojas Bautista from Kansas City is studying diesel technology and heavy equipment. Natalie MacKell in Calgary is training to become a welder. Cole Paradis from Massachusetts is pursuing high performance motorsports, while Talus Harris in Colorado is studying to become an arborist.

The other recipients include Lane Waddell (welding), Carmendy Andrews (welding techniques), Luke Maxwell (precision machining), and Joshua Henry (automotive restoration). Each brings passion and dedication to fields that keep our world running.

Since launching the scholarship in 2022, Metal Supermarkets has awarded $60,000 total to aspiring tradespeople. President and CEO Ryan Pryznyk says the company is proud to empower the next generation of skilled workers who will build rewarding careers in essential fields.

The Ripple Effect

These scholarships do more than help eight individuals pay for school. They send a powerful message that skilled trades are valuable, respected careers worth investing in. Every welder, machinist, and technician these students become will train others, fix critical equipment, and build the infrastructure our communities depend on. As the trades face a workforce crisis, programs like this remind young people that opportunity exists in fields that don't require a four-year degree but do require skill, dedication, and craftsmanship.

Eight students just got the support they needed to build careers that will shape our future.