Welding isn’t just a skill; it’s a national Security asset. That’s why ORAU launched Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders, a competition to give $30,000 in new welding equipment, upgrades or virtual equipment to three Alabama public high school educators. The competition deadline is January 30, 2026. In this episode of Further Together, host Michael Holtz talks to Jennifer Tyrell, Extreme Trades program manager, and Lindsay Cline from the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program Office about the need for welders, their earning potential, and their critical role in the country’s maritime industry.

Learn more about Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders and enter the competition at https://orau.org/extreme-trades/

Read our blog about the competition at https://orau.org/blog/programs/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-extreme-trades-makeover-future-welders-competition.html

Learn more about shipbuilding careers in Alabama at https://www.buildgiantsalabama.com/

Find educational resources for your classroom at https://www.buildsubmarines.com/education

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Michael Holtz Host, Further Together: The ORAU Podcast

Michael Holtz, APR, MPRCA, is a senior communications and marketing specialist for ORAU, a government contractor based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In his role he serves as the host of Further Together: The ORAU Podcast. He is also a content creator for orau.org and ORAU Story, the company's annual report. He also manages media relations activities for the organization. Outside of work, Michael is a cancer activist, leaning into his experience as a 12-year survivor of Stage 3B rectal cancer. Michael is a volunteer for Man Up to Cancer, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Fight Colorectal Cancer and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Michael lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his lovely wife, Sarah, and their rescue dog, a golden bassett named Marley.