A former Chardon High School graduate recently placed first in the WorldSkills welding finals in Huntsville, Ala.
A former Chardon High School graduate recently placed first in the WorldSkills welding finals in Huntsville, Ala.
Recently graduating from Lakeland Community College, John Ricci advanced to the WorldSkills competition after being named champion in the final round of the SkillsUSA welding competition.
Ricci competed against four other welders in the WorldSkills competition for a chance to compete in China in October.
SkillsUSA is the first step of the multi-level welding competition, which entails state and regional level competitions. WorldSkills, the final level of the competition, houses 77 countries that all compete for the world title, according to both organizations, which collaborate and host various competitions that aid in developing skills through various training standards, benchmarking systems and enhanced industry engagement.
“The welding gets harder, there is a lot more attention to detail and there was a big learning curve from the national level to the international level,” said Ricci in a recent interview.
Unfortunately, Ricci will not be advancing to the final step of the competition due to personal reasons. However, he said he is grateful for the opportunities the competitions have provided for him and for all the support he has received.
Ricci started his path to the welding industry after creating a smoker for his Chardon senior project with the help of his girlfriend’s uncle.
Ricci looked into Lakeland’s welding program after graduating from Chardon High School and deciding that a four- or five-year college experiences wasn’t for him.
“Within six weeks of starting my welding classes at Lakeland, my instructor Jesse Srpan had recommended me for a welding job within the area because I was top of my class,” said Ricci.
Srpan later introduced Ricci to Ryan Eubank, program coordinator for Lakeland’s welding and fabrications technology program.
Although SkillsUSA extended an invite to Eubank to participate in the competition for the past 17 years, Ricci was the first student interested in doing it, he said.
The two often worked 12- to 16-hour days, six days a week, preparing and working through the different welding challenges that could occur while competing, Eubank explained.
“As a coach and teacher to Ricci, it has been amazing to see and know how our time was not wasted,” he said.
For now, Ricci is working toward earning his Associate of Applied Science degree in welding and fabrication technology.
He also wants to become a certified welding inspector in the construction field to teach welding at the college level and allow him to have an impact on the next generation of welders, he said.
Ricci’s advice to anyone looking to get involved in the welding industry: “Put your head down, get in the booth and work hard.”
