A Diman Regional Vocational-Technical High School alumnus and Somerset native looks to represent not only Massachusetts but the entire country during the WorldSkills 2024 Welding Trials in Lyon, France.
Chace Duarte has been preparing for this moment since he was a sophomore, and after reaching the top three in the competition, he heads to Alabama next month in hopes of making it to the finals, winning a $40,000 scholarship and getting world recognition.
Meet Chace Duarte, Class of 2023
Chace Duarte is a Somerset native who joined the welding and metal fabrication program at Diman. During his sophomore year, he was placed under the guidance of Mr. David Salsinha, a staple of the program for the past 19 years.
“He’s a great person and student,” Salsinha said. “When people get to the level he is at, they tend to get full of themselves, but not him, he’s a really good kid.”
Duarte is also a hard worker. He works full-time at Piping Systems in Assonet, goes to school two nights a week to get his pipefitting license and all of his free time is spent on preparing for the WorldSkills Welding Trials.
“Nights, weekends, Sundays. ... Chase and I are training,” Salsinha said.
Chace Duarte’s Journey to the Big Show
WorldSkills is an organization that brings together young competitors from all over the world to compete in 62 skills, from floristry to 3D Digital Game Art.
During his sophomore year, Duarte took third place at the district level. In his junior year, he took second place at the state level, and during his senior year, he took first place at the district and state levels, qualifying him for nationals where he placed fourth.
Duarte is now one of three students in the United States who have qualified for the next round, and the winner will represent the United States in France.
If Duarte pulls off a victory, he’ll snag a $40,000 scholarship and be known globally as a master welder.
The journey has been years in the making and Duarte is ready to represent on a global stage.
He heads to Alabama next month where he will showcase 8 projects against the two other finalists.
Let’s all rally behind our own as he goes for gold.
