Metal Supplier Awards $10,000 to Trades Students
TORONTO, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Metal Supermarkets, the world’s largest supplier of small-quality metals, has announced the recipients of its 2025 Trade School Scholarship, awarding $2,500 each to four trades students at post-secondary schools across the United States and Canada.
North America is facing a growing deficit of skilled trades workers, with over 320,000 welding professionals projected to be needed by 2029. Additionally, an average of 80,000 welding jobs will need to be filled annually between 2025 and 2029. To address this critical skills gap and to raise awareness of the vital trades industry, Metal Supermarkets created the annual Trade School Scholarship in 2022. Since its launch, the company has awarded $40,000 to students who are pursuing valuable careers in the trades.
“Metal Supermarkets remains committed to supporting the next generation of North America’s skilled trades workforce through our annual scholarship,” said Ryan Pryznyk, President and CEO of Metal Supermarkets. “It’s encouraging to know these students will soon join the trades workforce, bolstered by our support as they complete their schooling. We extend our sincere congratulations to this year’s recipients: Bryce Bain, Kristina Glasow, Jackson Owens and Jadea Smith.”
Introducing the 2025 Metal Supermarkets Trade School Scholarship Recipients:
Bryce Bain
Norman, Oklahoma
The Trade School Scholarship will make it possible for Bryce to continue his welding studies at Tulsa Welding School and become a certified welding inspector. In high school, he participated in Future Farmers America (FFA), where he competed in many welding and agricultural (AG) mechanics competitions. Bryce holds a level 1 structural welding certification and enjoys completing welding jobs for local farmers.
Kristina Glasow
Simpsonville, South Carolina
Kristina is attending WyoTech, where she studies collision and refinishing technology. She is pursuing a career in the automotive field, with a focus on custom vehicle modifications, specifically classic car restorations and high-performance motorsport builds. Her goal is to master the art of restoring classic cars, preserving their original character while enhancing their performance and reliability.
Jackson Owens
Spicer, Minnesota
Jackson is studying AAS industrial welding at Ridgewater College. He has represented Ridgewater at SkillsUSA’s National Welding Fabrication competition and the American Welding Society (AWS)’s Behind the Mask competition. Jackson also operates a mobile welding business and enjoys mentoring younger welders to help them succeed in the trades. Through the Trade School Scholarship, he plans to support his education and give back to the welding community.
Jadea Smith
Eganville, Ontario, Canada
Jadea is a registered 456A welding apprentice with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship program. She first discovered her passion for welding through a high-school extracurricular program that introduced female students to the trade. Thanks to the support of the Trade School Scholarship, Jadea will be able to attend the Welder-Fitter Mechanical Technician program at Canadore College this fall.
The 2025 Trade School Scholarship judging panel consisted of Metal Supermarkets’ corporate staff, as well as franchisees from stores in Edmonton, AB; Toronto, ON; Winnipeg, MB; Indianapolis, IN; Memphis, TN; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA.
To learn more about the Metal Supermarkets Trade School Scholarship and to discover past recipients, visit: https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/trade-school-scholarship/.
ABOUT METAL SUPERMARKETS
Celebrating 40 years of operation, Metal Supermarkets, the world’s largest supplier of small-quantity metals, has over 130 brick-and-mortar stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom with 15 franchise locations in development. Known for its speed and convenience, Metal Supermarkets sells a wide variety of metals including Aluminum, Hot-Rolled Steel, Cold-Rolled Steel, Stainless Steel, Alloy Steel, Galvanized Steel, Tool Steel, Brass, Bronze and Copper. With highly specialized staff, customers can get the metal they need, cut to size, with a wide variety of value-added metal processing services available including Production Cutting, Shearing, Plate Cutting, Bending, Drilling, Hole Punching, Notching, Delivery and more. For more information about how Metal Supermarkets is helping customers today and tomorrow, visit the Metal Supermarkets website, Facebook and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Metal Supermarkets Franchising America Inc.
