Woven Together: Growing the Future Welding Workforce, Supporting Local Community

About Project

Woven Metal Products (WMP) is a state-of-the-art fabrication facility and solutions provider, known worldwide for its expertise in fabricating reactor and tower internals and custom fabrication work for any application and need across multiple industries. A family-owned and operated small business since 1967, WMP serves local, domestic and international partners.
In the last nearly 60 years, the WMP team has built a reputation as one of the best metal fabrication facilities in the world.  With all its success, WMP has not lost sight of the importance of championing their community — in their homebase of Alvin, Texas — as well as the manufacturing / fabrication industry as a whole.
That's why WMP formalized its corporate social responsibility efforts by creating its community outreach program, Woven Together. Woven Together aims to grow the future workforce for manufacturing and metalworking industries by spotlighting the benefits of a trade skills career. 
The program includes the Spark for the Future Scholarship, which is awarded to a local student pursuing training in welding, as well as hosting students in WMP’s fabrication shop. This year’s scholarship winner will apply the funds toward his continued welding education at Alvin Community College.
To date, nearly 250 high school and community college students and their instructors have visited the WMP shop, learning about potential career paths and the fabrication industry overall.  
After visiting WMP, instructors from Galveston College invited WMP staff to attend a Welding Advisory Committee Meeting to give input into what students should be learning. One of their staff shared, “Our students were so impressed with WMP and believe it has been the best shop they have ever visited.” 
Teachers from Turner High School in Pearland, Texas, also expressed how impactful and important in-shop visits are for their welding students after their students’ shop tour. 
“I was reminded how valuable getting students into the industry is,” said Turner High School’s lead instructor. “Having conversations about opportunities to grow inside a company really spoke to kids who worry about doors they may be shutting by going straight into the workforce and following a different advanced education pathway.”   
The Woven Together program also includes financial and other support for local organizations including Kidz Harbor and Texas HOPE. Last year, WMP gave over $47,000 in charitable contributions.
Additionally, WMP president/CEO Russell Hillenburg sits on the Advisory Committee for Alvin Community College’s Welding Technology Program, where he periodically meets with the program’s students to share updates and insights on the fabrication industry. He’s also a founding advisory board member for a local entrepreneurial program for high schoolers and treasurer of the board of the Friendswood ISD Education Foundation.  
With Woven Together, WMP is supporting its community, giving back through future workforce training and support for local nonprofit organizations.