Welding Students’ Career Arcs Get a Boost at ‘Kish’

A single mother of five children dreamed of a better future for herself and her family.

She knew the way forward—finish her college program. But to get there, to cross the stage and receive her diploma, she needed financial support.

And she needed someone to believe in her.

More than financial aid, scholarships show students that the community supports their pursuit of a better future, explains Kayte Hamel, vice president of college relations at Kishwaukee College, located in the village of Malta, Illinois, an hour’s drive west of Chicago.

Hamel also serves as executive director of the Kishwaukee College Foundation, which oversees financial support for students.

“Scholarships create opportunities,” she adds, noting the aforementioned student earned her diploma and is now working toward a degree.

Kishwaukee College, known as Kish, aims to diversify its awards to support as many learners as possible and help them complete their programs. Each year, Kish disburses about $450,000 in scholarships, many to individuals who couldn’t complete their education without this support.

Hamel notes that some program areas have fewer award opportunities for learners—technical programs like welding, for example.

Nearly a decade ago, Enbridge saw a way to empower the next generation of welders to achieve their potential. In 2015, we established the Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship across the Midwest, which the Kish Foundation awards to five to 10 welding students each year. Since 2015, we have contributed $45,000 to the award through Fueling Futures grants.

In 2023, Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship grants or like-minded bursaries were awarded to seven post-secondary schools in the Midwest.

“The Enbridge scholarship is one of the only ones we have for students in the manufacturing and technology program areas at the college,” Hamel explains. “To be able to offer it to students has had a great impact on them.”

Significantly, the college’s welding program is growing, including a 20% enrolment increase in 2023, expanding from about 110 students to 132.

In addition to ongoing Enbridge scholarships, we’ve also supported the classroom experience of Kish welding students. We donated a diesel truck in 2023, a crane truck and electric welder in 2021, and a pipe beveler in 2018.

And, each year, some of our master welders visit the college to do demonstrations and tell the students about working in industry.

“The visits from Enbridge are a highlight for the students,” Hamel says. “They get to see the real-world application of the technologies and teachings they're learning in the classroom.”

Investing in learners is an investment in the development of the industry as a whole, she continues.

“Community support helps students improve their lives and improve the lives of others.”