Welding in Vietnam: In-demand and Good Pay Occupation

Welding is now one of the most in-demand occupations with handsome pay in Vietnam.  Kindly check details below.

Like other mechanical occupations, welding has been gathering numerous employees as a result of its big labor force demand and attractive pay

Such a big demand for welding manpower

There now increases welding workforce demand in Vietnam and the world. As shown in the statistics by Bureau of Vocational Training (MOLISA), with the good welding skills, the welders-to-be have been topping the list of graduated trainees with highest employability (to be specific, up to 92.5%)

Indeed, this job demand is enormous to the extent that demand is higher than the supply. As shared by Mr. Dang Trung Dung, one lecturer of mechanical department – Cao Thang Engineering College, Ho Chi Minh city, many enterprises have, from time to time, had him introduce welders. Still, regrettably, there is not enough Vietnam manpower to address such big demands. Similarly, International Vocational Association Vabis –Hong Lam that is advantageous with mechanical vocational training, especially welding has failed to supplied adequate number of workers for local enterprises and export market.

As listed by Lilama2 school (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), this school’s welding graduates are more highly demanded. To be specific, quarter I/ 2011 witnessed 8 company requests for 250 welders; 6 companies with requests for about 150 welders were recognized in quarter II/ 2011; in quarter III/ 2011, 8 enterprises needed hire 250 welders; quarter IV/ 2011 came with 11 companies in need of employing over 400 welding workers. Since 2012, the demand for welders has been keeping high. There are lots of enterprises in demand for hundreds of welding jobs – for example, Zamil Steel Vietnam Company, Nam Kim Steel Joint Stock Company, etc.

Why Choose Welding Occupation?

Welding has been around for centuries. It is especially important for manufacturing industries. For example, in U.S, up to 50% of products have been manufactured thanks in part to welding. Incredibly, all of those familiar products can’t be created without welding – cars, motorbikes, bridges, ships, computers, medical device, hand phones, to name a few. Chasing this occupation means pursuing a better life not only for the workers themselves but also for others.

Welding jobs are now heading the list for most in-demand occupations. As analyzed by International Institute of Welding (IIW) and American Welding Association (AWS), those in pursuit of welding technique always stand an ample chance of being most current about new knowledge of energy, material, controlling device, equipment, etc. That way will aid them in creating amazing products for human beings. 

Amid today’s industrialization and modernization, those well trained of welding will enjoy attractive job opportunities in the large manufacturing industries – for example,

- Petroleum industry (manufacturing, repairing rig base, oil pipelines, storage tanks)

- Ships manufacturing

- Aircraft industry

- Petrochemical, chemical industry

- Hydroelectric, thermoelectric industry

- Cement industry

- Bridge, tunnel industry

Handsome pay up to tens of million dong

Good pay is guaranteed

Welding can be said to be among the hottest jobs with truly high salary those days. It doesn’t take long for fresh gradates from welding training centers to be employed in local companies with the average salary of 4-5 millions dong/ month. The figure is far higher for those with welding certificates 3G-6G, especially for those skilled and working overseas. There are now available many offshore welding manpower supplies in Vietnam. Welders of 4-6G competence sent to Japan are often paid 800 USD/ month and more. As Middle East is really in need of 6G welders working in the oil and gas factories, the skilled welders can make salary negotiation with the employers.

According to Mrs. Truong Thi Phuong – Head of Department of Vabis – Hong Lam, the wage rate for welders is high those days, 6-7 millions dong per month. As per the offshore welding job posting in Japan by Lilama2, the monthly pay rate for the first working year is 20-25 million dong, and higher at 30 million dong or more from the second year (exclusive of overtime pay).

As collected from job seeking websites, there have been numerous demands for welders in the construction of factory, prefab houses, skyscrapers, pipelines, and others. The salary given is commonly from 4.5 million dong to 1,000 USD reliant on the work type whether local jobs or exported jobs.

Vietnamese workers overseas will enjoy the really handsome salary rate equivalent to their competency and performance, especially welders properly trained and internationally certificated – for instance, DVS welding certificate authorized by IIW and tested and supplied by HwC. 

Less cost and time consuming training

It’s not difficult for you to make welding your career. It isn’t important whether you have no idea of welding occupation, a high school graduate, or whatever. What is important is that you are ensured of physical health and self-motivation.

A job that you can work out and enjoy rock music

Some people consider welding as a tiring work and welders as those with dirty hands and obsession with unblemished skin. Still, on a brighter note, this is the best job. It is welders who work out and keep fit. It is welders who make clean money with their dirty hands. And it is welders who make metal and rock music when welding.

High chances of career advancement

Students from vocational schools can find a job for money and experience accumulation while they are studying. If they are quite good at English and computer use, they can work for foreign companies with the salary of thousands of dollars. After 3-5 years of working as 6G welding professionals, learning English and office computer skills, and others, they can sit for the welding teaching certification exam to become welding teachers, welding supervisors, welding inspector or welding engineers. This is among ways they can become an engineer without getting hold of a university degree.

In short, welding has been an in-demand and good pay job in Vietnam. Of course, there is none of workplace will pay high for jobs that can be handled by anyone. If you want a high wage, you should know to do what many people can’t do. Vietnamese welders have impressed foreign employers as being clever, hard working, intelligent. They favor hiring Vietnamese welders and accept to pay them high. Then why don’t we keep trying to make that good impression never sway, but better over time? Do our best for our sake!

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The A - Z of History of Welding (Part 1)

This complete history of welding will sure help you track developments in welding and reason why welding is super important today.

See also:
The A - Z of History of Welding (Part 2)

Welding has evolved over centuries to joint things and glue the modern industry together. Below we will be going to ride the time machine and track developments that have made welding so important these days with a thorough look into milestone and pioneers of welding processes.

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What is welding?

The fundamental process of welding one material or more together has been around for centuries. But it isn’t until the turn of 20th century that we saw the modern welding techniques are used.

Those techniques mainly result from the discovery and application of electricity that enabled welding to be done far more quickly and efficiently than it had been previously done.

The industrial revolution propelled demand though, it wasn’t until the outbreak of World War I and II in 1914 and 1939 that really saw welding prosper. The high demand on manufacturing and repair rose dramatically. Welding techniques and process also developed during that time because ships, vehicles, armaments and such general construction as bridges, advanced and larger scaffold structures were necessarily produced quickly and in numerous differing environments.

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To seize welding properly, it’s significant to look at where it started and how welding became one of the most significant developments in the construction and engineering history.

3000 BC

Forging was used most widely in the early Bronze Age, mainly in producing armour and weaponry. Along with the demand for more qualified weapons and armour, the basic forging process has been spread pretty quickly, from the hoards in Northern Europe to advanced civilizations of Egypt.

It’s here that solid state welding made its first appearance. The heat of charcoal fires was high enough to melt often-used metals of that time (ex. Bronze, etc.), and materials were forged together.

1500 BC

People didn’t have to wait for another 1,500 years or so for welding to start evolving. More complex metal compounds discovered – for example, Mercury was synonymous to that the forgers or welders at that time can really start controlling the heat flow and practicing with how different metals reacted to processes.

Discovery of such more complex metal compounds as Mercury meant development of welding techniques that time.

This step-up, though simple, induced a hub of techniques that allowed more qualified and intricate products to be made – for instance, items for rulers monarchs, high ranking officers. As you could imagine, the more complicated the design, the higher demand on the process, and as regards, this helped speed up welding’s evolution.

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1 AD

More types of welding invented resulted from discovery of more metal such as lead.

By the turn of new Millennium, more metals had been discovered (ex. Lead, etc.), and as a result, more types of welding had been invented – for example, forge welding and pressure welding.

The advancement in process had resulted in larger structures and items built. Welding evolution, that time, took giant strides in which there are high demand for welding. The greater demand for welding, the more opportunities for someone to take it to the next level.

400-500 AD

Within 400 years, structures in England, Italy and Northern Europe were being developed and structures in India were starting to draw people’s attention. The Iron Pillar of Delhi with 5-6 tons heavy and over 7 metres (23 feet) high was created by blacksmiths.

The Iron Pillar of Delhi 

Within the next 1000 years, the Middle Ages witnessed pretty little advancement in the welding process. That was because the peak of forging capabilities had been attained and blacksmith’s were tied onto the heating process and metals available. Though such metals as Zinc were discovered this time, they are unfortunately insufficient to make any breakthrough.

Literature was more slowly spread in the Middle Ages (also, the Dark Ages). It wasn’t until later in the late 18th century that the age of welding discovery became really strong once again, enjoying eureka moments.

1750’s 

International travel and exploration by the late 1700s came with new and purer forms of metals discovered. Nickel was discovered in its purest form ever by German miners at the beginning of the decade, and 2 years later in 1753 across the Atlantic, Platinum had been discovered in South America.

1770’s 

The next eureka moment in the history of welding was in 1774 with ‘O’ discovery (also, Oxygen). While the 1700s had been the time of exploration to far corners of the globe in search for new metals and purer forms of metals already employed in welding, little was done to evolving, or comprehending the heat regulation in the process of welding. The discovery of ‘O’ made a complete change and 2 years later after its discovery, oxides were being produced.

Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier discovered oxygen cutting and the connection between fusion and detachment with the introduction of oxides to metals.

In 1776, Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier – a French Chemist significantly helped with the understanding of combustion. He developed many defining principles in chemistry, but the most relevant one here was the discovery of oxygen cutting and the collaboration between fusion and detachment with the introduction of oxides to metals.

1808

By 1808, numerous new metals had been discovered, many of which are critical to the role of the welding types we see nowadays, including Tungsten discovered in 1783, Zirconium in 1789, Titanium in 1791. Magnesium also joined the list of new metals that can be welded in 1808.

In 1827, Friederich Wöhler proved that Aluminum existed, adding this metal to the list of new metals. Combined with the advancement in the comprehension of fuels and types of energy applied in welding process, especially the discovery of Oxygen in 1774, new highs in temperature were attained.

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1820s-1830’s

The discovery of electricity revolutionized the way industry was run and played an essential role in people’s domestic lives.

The connection between magnetism and electricity was discovered by Hans Christian Oersted - a Danish physicist and chemist in the 1820’s. It was this breakthrough that enables electricity to be utilized and its power to be realized and controlled by scientists. In 1831, Michael Faraday – a British born inventor, devised the electric dynamo that produced electricity. This was followed by a decade of discovery.

Michael Faraday's electric dynamo

1830s-1840’s

While the previous decade may have been featured by advancements made in electricity and the control of this exciting energy source, 1830s-1840s were best known for blowpipes - another piece of apparatus that took welding to the next level. The intense heat generated by the blowpipe allowed welding metals with higher melting points – for example, Platinum.

Blowpipe

In 1835, Sainte Claire Deville – a French inventor, devised a highly effective blowpipe that combined Oxygen and Hydrogen. In 1838, rubber was used in the blowpipe process. Its potential as a material that can be strengthened made it the best material to be applied for welding gases.

Later that year, patent was issued to Eugene Desbassayrs de Richemont for fusion welding. What makes fusion welding different from other forms of welding is that it indicates the materials in questions aren’t in solid state but in a liquid state.

1846 

The next eureka moment was in 1846. You may be pleased to know that this discovery didn’t take place in the lab. James Nasmyth while working for the British navy discovered that if welders prepared weld surfaces with a slightly convex surface, the metal swarf and flux are squeezed out of the joint. This would produce a much stronger joint.

1856

In 1856, James Joule from England discovered the welding process that heating a material using electricity and internal resistant can also create an effective weld. The resistance welding was later perfected by Elihu Thomson. His techniques would advance to what later was known as incandescent welding (electric welding by the incandescent method).

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1860’s 

Acetylene was discovered in 1860s by Pierre Eugène Marcellin Berthelot – a French chemist and politician. This chemical compound is widely used in the welding industry today due to its high bonding compound structure. The gas creates a very high flame, over 6000°F (3300°c), just perfect for gas welding and cutting.

Ultimately, this development led to the introduction of arc welding. It is this discovery that leads to the third key moment in welding, which as you may have noticed, is beginning to speed up somehow now.

The arc welding process managed to take welding to the next level, and numerous practical uses and applications skyrocketed. This also can be seen in plenty of patents that began to be filed globally because businessmen and entrepreneurs wanted to take a piece of the action when the industrial age rumbled on.

1860-1900

More and more patents for new and exciting products were being published – for example, compounds, metal electrodes, blowtorches, wheelbases, pipelines. It seemed that welding could be used for a huge number of applications.

1900

At the turn of the century, the U.S landscape was patchwork of intercrossing and interconnecting pipelines and railways. Those are owed to the advancements in welding. In this regards, Samuel Van Sickel completed the world’s 1st oil pipeline in Pennsylvania that measures in excess of 2 miles in length. Railways were benefited, too, when Hans Goldschmidt from Germany discovered thermite welding in 1903 availing aluminium and metal oxide. This was the method that railroads would be welded together.

Some 4 years later, Herr Wienzell - another German born welder, moved to the U.S and introduced arc welding to the wider industry. In the same year, the covered electrode by Oscar Kjellberg - a Swedish inventor and industrialist, was pioneers, too. This coated electrode was used in manual metal arc. The purpose of the coating is to protect the molten metal from oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. This covered electrode development paved the way during the next 20 years in the research of trusted flux coated electrodes.

1911

The world's first portable welding machine by Lincoln Electric

1911 was another landmark year in the history of welding when the globally first portable welding machines were created and rolled out by Lincoln Electric in the U.S.

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Free International Standard Vocational Training Provided in Vietnam to Meet Skilled Workers Demand

To attract more engagement in skilled trades and address higher demand for skilled workers, Lilama 2 Vocational Training College is offering free three-year training courses aligned with international standard for students in Southern province of Dong Nai, Vietnam.

A student in Lilama 2 is practising 6G welding

Situated in Long Thanh district, Lilama 2 is proudly the first school in Vietnam to be accredited as a member of European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training. This college provides international training courses certified with EQF (European Qualifications Framework).

Following their graduation, students will attain the British Accreditation Council’s qualifications accepted in the world’s 100 countries. 

According to Mr. Le Quang Trung, Vice Rector of this college, Lilama 2 has enrolled over 150 students in welding, industrial electronics and mechanical tool manufacturing in the academic year of 2014-2015.

From now to 2016, Lilama 2 plans to enroll additional 400 pupils who reside in Dong Nai.

As one of first TVET (Centers of Excellence for Technical and Vocational Education and Training) in Vietnam, Lilama 2 has a total investment of $37.6 million funded by French and German governments.

This college has also worked with Bosch Vietnam to implement a pilot dual training program in Germany for 46 Vietnamese pupils to address the higher demand for skilled workers.

Expectedly, there will be more and more vocational gradudates with specific skills entering the national and international labor market. To do so, training centers should have proper ways to attract more students and include professional training to keep students updated with ever-changing pace of technology and equip them with knowledge and skills in reply to employers’ strict demands. Students themselves should leverage those programs as a cost-effective way of chasing their welding career through specialization. Also, offshore staffing providers in Vietnam should do their utmost to find out the most appropriate workers to serve the international demand for skilled migrant workers.

Read More

The A - Z of History of Welding (Part 2)

This complete history of welding will sure help you track developments in welding and reason why welding is super important today.

See also:

The A - Z of History of Welding (Part 1)

1914

Women welders at the Hog Island shipyard near Philadelphia

The outbreak of World War I saw manufacturing and industry output predominantly in Europe increased dramatically. The growing need for ships, vehicles and armaments and demand for maintaining efficiencies in industry to serve for competition against the warring sides pushed welding to new levels. Also, as the need for trained professionals increased, the welding trade was passed to more people. The main role of welders, throughout the 4-year war, was in repairs out in the field. 

1915-1917

By 1915, longer pipelines had been established in the US, and by 1916, welding equipment was made available to the public. This comprised mainly spot welding equipment, but showed the development of welding process and trade. That trend grew in 1916 with Mig welding introduced, as enterprises started to produce and sell a number of gases and equipment to everyday welders. 

The industry was prospering and corporations started to grow as to address the public and industrial demand for welding gases and equipment. Take overs and mergers were a typical occurrence in the American welding industry at the end of the decade, and competition pushed further advancements – for example, combining acetylene and oxygen that created a flame hot enough to melt just about all metals 3100°C (5700°F) in use that time. 

By now, such methods in welding as Electroslag welding and plasma welding were commonplace alongside such established methods as Mig welding. Due to the gas shortage in England during World War I, using electric arc welding to manufacturing mines, bombs and torpedoes was the primary fabrication method. 

1918-1920

The World War I ended but the lessons drawn by welders in factories and welders in the field wouldn’t be forgotten. For welders, it was time to look back at what they had accomplished during the war. For the first time, welding was used in production of fighter planes and battleships. The Great War had made a huge increase in the use of welding in construction and repairing. 

After the war, welding was recognized across the US for its fundamental role. Numerous societies for welding began to be founded, but none of them was more pivotal to welding future than the American Welding Society (AWS). This society was established with a view to improving and advancing the welding process, and it is the society that is still going strong. Later in the decade, the Institute of Welding Engineers was also founded (1923). 

Many societies for welding were founded, including American Welding Society.

1920

By 1920, automatic welding was growingly popular. Invented by P.O. Nobel, automatic welding combined the use of arc voltage and bare electrode wires. It was applied for repairing and molding metals. During this decade, some types of electrodes were also developed. 

1926

By 1926, hydrogen and atomic energy were beginning to play a role in the welding evolution. This was led by Irving Langmuir – American physicist and chemist. He was credited for developing Atomic Hydrogen Arc Welding (AHAW) or Atomic Hydrogen Welding (AHW). Gamma radiation was most noticeable scientific method in the mid-1920s, but its potential in welding wasn’t truly understood until late in the century.

1929

Lincoln Electric produced the Fleetwood 5 heavy coated electrode.

This year also witnessed important roles of the AWS in welding industry when it helped advanced the industry through research. It also acted as a hub for welding companies and welders. Along with its growing influence, it played a role as a responsible regulatory body in which safety in welding started to become paramount concern. At the end of the decade, the AWS established the first ever welding symbols. 

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Early 1930’s

By the turn of 1930s, the introduction of plastics and thermoplastics in welding created another eureka moment in this industry. They acted as light-weight alternative to metals. As shown in experiments, thermoplastics can be welded in the same fashion as metals when heated. This breakthrough really got off the ground when war eventually broke out in Europe at the end of the decade. German engineering and research was foremost in the trend when developing welding process using thermoplastics. 

Mid 1930’s

By the mid-1930s when the worst of Great Depression had gone, employment was starting to pick up once again. That time, numerous new techniques and welding methods were created. Stud welding was beginning to be replaced by submerged arc welding – a new process in ship building. Also, underwater welding was first executed and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or Tig welding was in its early stages of development. 

1939

The World War II in 1939 tended to change tremendously the welding process. Advancements in the industry led to a number of processes that were in huge demand, delivering numerous new landmarks in the evolution of welding. 

The use of aluminum spot welding was recognized as being useful in aviation.  

1940-1945

Much like in the First World War, for the welding world, the Second World War gave a period of the process to be driven further. New, lighter metals were available and shaping the production of aircraft, etc. The demand for workforce increased accordingly.

GTAW welding

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) was established to be a helpful technique for repairs. It, after decades of development, was eventually perfected in 1941 and its patent was issued in 1942. Invented by Russel Meredith and developed by the Linde company, it was also called Heliarc or Tig. 

Also in 1942, firecracker welding process patent was given to George Hafergut.

In 1943, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) was invented by C.B. Voldrich, P.J. Rieppel and Howard B. Cary. It was developed at Dow and Northrup Corporations, and then licensed to Linde Corporation. Also that year, the Sciaky company started to sell a 3-phase resistance welder. 

Post War Period 1945-1955

1945 saw experimental hand-held Mig gun developed at the Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio). Also this time, welding took place of riveting as the major method of assembly for ships with over 5,000 vessels constructed through 1945. 

GMAW followed in 1948, facilitating fast welding of non-ferrous materials, but requiring costly shielding gases. Also in 1948, inert gas metal arc process (Mig) was developed at the Air Reduction Company, and SIGMA (Shielded Inert Gas Metal Arc) welding was developed to weld thicker plates.

In 1949, Westinghouse introduced Selenium Rectifier welding machines.

By the turn of 1950s, welding was growing in popularity not only in large-scale industry but also for individual use. Developments mainly in Eastern Europe and Russia resulted in the introduction of Flux Coated Consumable Electrode that was very popular at the time of its launch. Also, electroslag welding (ESW) was developed, though it wouldn’t be in large-scale use until 1958. 

The CO2 welding process made popular by Lyubavskii and Novoshilov in 1953 became a preferred welding process for welding steels, as it was relatively economical. 

In 1955, a decade after the end of World War II, plasma torch was introduced that revolutionized the cutting process. 

1956-1960

By the mid-1950s, the Cold War became thawing and Russian advancements in welding were welcomed in Europe and the US. Friction welding – a new solid state method, was invented and is still popularly used today. By 1957, some 2 years following the introduction of the plasma torch, plasma arc welding (PAW) was invented. And that same year, flux cored arc welding (FCAW) debuted as an alternative to shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). In this process, the self-shielded wire electrode can be used with automatic equipment, leading to greatly increased welding speeded. FCAW gets an edge over SMAW in that the use of stick electrodes in SMAW is unnecessary. This helped FCAW to deal with many of the restrictions related to SMAW. 

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1960’s

By 1960, the industry entered into a new phase. Global economies were beginning to show stable recovery. Middle classes were starting to grow; populations began to surge. And with them, the demand for consumer electronics and cars grew. Also, passenger airplanes got increasingly popular, and the welding developments followed suit. Space industry also relied on welding for outer space mission. In 1962, Sciaky company welded Mercury Space Capsule that was created with an outer and inner titanium shell. 

Mercury Space Capsule

In France, electron beam welding was developed and is still a process we see today in manufacturing aircrafts. The welding world was introduced to the laser, and many started to consider its uses in welding one day. 

It wasn’t until mid-1960s that lasers would be used in welding and cutting. By the end of the decade, science fiction became science fact when the electron beam weld resulted in the establishment of first welding program in space introduced by Russia. 

1970’s

The 1970s came as a new age of industrialization. The higher demand for oil and gas made big companies to step up their exploration efforts, and for doing so, more rigs were beginning to be manufactured. Demand for welding, once again, took big strides regarding its commercial and large-scale use. Advanced technologies like the development of infrared was availed, as the complexities of miniaturization pushed welding firms and welders further and into smaller gaps than before. 

By the mid-1970s, space exploration really began to ramp up. Human beings had stepped foot on the moon, and the need for better and more efficient welding techniques in space was synonymous to that electron beam welding started to place a real impact in the space race between Russia and the US. 

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Welding Process for the Spacecraft atop the World’s Largest Rocket Begins

That’s for the space. Back on earn, oil was starting to flow, and this came with the demand for transporting those newly filled barrels of black gold. With the help of welding, super tankers were produced. 

The huge floating fortresses, once again, showed the world how capable welding was. 

1980’s

While there were fewer developments in the process of welding during the 1980s, its application kept on growing. Big projects asked for a rise in laborforce and welding became a very hot career that time. Welding schools began to fill because people looked to be part of this thriving industry. The reliance on welding grew year on year. 

It wasn’t until the 1990s that the welding world, once again, changed with new developments of the process. 

1991

In 1991, friction stir welding was introduced in a laboratory in the UK. This new process was invented by Wayne Thomas – a member of the Welding Institute. This process was different from conventional practice in that a solid state bond was formed thanks to friction without the need or dependence on filler metal or gas. Still, this was an expensive process, which limited it to some extent. 

1999

While the turn of the decade was remembered for the introduction of friction stir welding, the end of the decade will be characterized by developments in penetration.

The Edison Institute developed a method that led to 300% rise in flux penetration into the weld.

2000 – Present day

By the turn of the millennium, magnetic pulse welding (MPW) was introduced by a firm based in Israel, showing the extent that countries across the globe were now improving and inventing new, sophisticated welding procedures. 

Spot welding was being used less in industry because new, more efficient atomized processes came into market. 

Lasers were now driving factory floors’ production around the world. In 2001, the introduction of laser power welding was synonymous to that substrate materials could now be rebuilt. Plastics, for the first time, really started to be applied in the welding process in a large scale. This was thanks in large part to the laser that revolutionized the way polymers were welded, creating an almost invisible weld line. The precision of laser allows for various applications, so solidifying its place alongside some of the other more commonly used methods these days.  

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Vocational Training in Vietnam Offers Rosy Path to Welding Career

Vocational training in Vietnam has been a promising alternative to the traditional four-year university education. Those with this training can earn good pay and good job security.

Universities have been, for years, preferred among students and their parents in Vietnam. Many students desire to enter universities no matter what their aptitude is and whether study major is suited to them due to higher job opportunities and income. Many relate vocational schools to the blue-collar jobs that require physically hard work. Still, lately, vocational training in Vietnam has got substantial attention. The high cost of four-year universities and other drawbacks lead more and more people to consider vocation schools as an education alternative. With shorter time of commitment, lower cost, vocational welding schools have been proving to be a good alternative to traditional universities and colleges. Specially, amid high demand, improved safety equipment and pay for skilled trade workers, an increasing number of students choose trade schools as a nice place to offer promising path in welding career.

University graduates’ unemployment rate and salaries

Recent university graduates are not just having harder time looking for work but they are being less paid when they do. Following are some most current statistics on this problem that may catch your attention. 

• As per the latest report by Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam (MOLISA), in quarter 1, 2015, the number of unemployed graduates and post-graduates keeps on increasing with over 177,700 people from 74,700 – a 7.3% rise compared to quarter 4, 2014, and 9.4% higher than the same period of past year. The number of jobless college bachelors is 100,600 in quarter 1, 2015 compared to 74,700 in quarter 4, 2014.

• According to Deputy Minister of MOLISA, Doan Mau Diep, unemployment mainly falls into university graduates or post-graduates, which show that this labor category has hard time entering the labor market. While there are about 400,000 graduates per year, there exist about 170,000 jobless. This fact should be taken into consideration, and change, to some extent, some perceptions that university education is the one and only path to good career.

• According to the statistics by Ministry of Education and Training (Vietnam), during the period of 2011-2014, the number of the employed with university and college degrees has been rising over years. Still, the unemployment rate that falls into this category has been higher during that period, too.

Vocational school graduates’ employment rates and salaries

Comparatively to those taking the four-year university route, the graduates of technical vocational schools are spending less time on school and some even enjoying higher wages. That’s not all, there are those who have not finished their training at those schools but have been keenly hunted by employers.

• For long, the vocational training fee is much lower than that of universities. The students in vocational centers often enjoy fee reduction.

• Vocational schools often cooperate with tons of enterprises to raise the graduates’ employability. Many trainees have been paid 3 million VND/ month, which is obviously higher than university students during their probation.

• Recently, there is an increasing number of university students who switch their education path to vocational education, or bachelors and masters pursue the vocational training because they find that such a training helps further their career.

• Specially, ASEAN nations will agree on a common labor market in 2015. Then workers can work abroad with the attractive wages. This is also a good news for head hunter companies in Vietnam and foreign employers.

Above facts and trends work like wonder on welding. Welding skills in the world and Vietnam have been hard sought after.

As shown in the statistics by Bureau of Vocational Training (MOLISA), with the good welding skills, the welders-to-be have been topping the list of graduated trainees with highest employability (to be specific, up to 92.5%)

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19 Important Skills for Welding Occupations

Welding can be said to be among the hottest jobs with truly high salary those days. It doesn’t take long for fresh gradates from welding training centers to be employed in local companies with the average salary of 4-5 millions dong/ month. The figure is far higher for those with welding certificates 3G-6G, especially for those skilled and working overseas. There are now available many offshore welding manpower supplies in Vietnam. Welders of 4-6G competence sent to Japan are often paid 800 USD/ month and more. As Middle East is really in need of 6G welders working in the oil and gas factories, the skilled welders can make salary negotiation with the employers.

According to Mrs. Truong Thi Phuong – Head of Department of Vabis – Hong Lam, the wage rate for welders is high those days, 6-7 millions dong per month. As per the offshore welding job posting in Japan by Lilama2 (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), the monthly pay rate for the first working year is 20-25 million dong, and higher at 30 million dong or more from the second year (exclusive of overtime pay).

As collected from job seeking websites, there have been numerous demands for welders in the construction of factory, prefab houses, skyscrapers, pipelines, and others. The salary given is commonly from 4.5 million dong to 1,000 USD reliant on the work type whether it is local jobs or exported jobs.

Vietnamese workers overseas will enjoy the really handsome salary rate equivalent to their competency and performance, especially welders properly trained and internationally certificated – for instance, DVS welding certificate authorized by IIW and tested and supplied by HwC.

Growing Demand for Welding Graduates

In recent years, the shortage of skilled workers is one of important contributors to the growing need of technical school graduates, especially those trained in such skilled trades as welding. Because manufacturing and other industries recover from the global economic recession, they encounter a shortage of skilled labor. This problem can be partly reasoned that older skilled employees are faster retiring than they are being replaced. A limited number of the young may enter the skilled trades – for example, as a welding professional, partly because high school students often consider university education as an automatic choice.

Indeed, this job demand is enormous to the extent that demand is higher than the supply. As shared by Mr. Dang Trung Dung, one lecturer of mechanical department – Cao Thang Engineering College, Ho Chi Minh city, many enterprises have, from time to time, had him introduce welders. Still, it is regrettable that there is not enough Vietnam manpower to address such big demands. Similarly, International Vocational Association Vabis – Hong Lam that is advantageous with mechanical vocational training, especially welding has failed to supplied adequate number of workers for local enterprises and export market.

As listed by Lilama2 school, this school’s welding graduates are more highly demanded. To be specific, quarter I/ 2011 witnessed 8 company requests for 250 welders; 6 companies with requests for about 150 welders were recognized in quarter II/ 2011; in quarter III/ 2011, 8 enterprises needed hire 250 welders; quarter IV/ 2011 came with 11 companies in need of employing over 400 welding workers. Since 2012, the demand for welders has been keeping high. There are lots of enterprises in demand for hundreds of welding jobs – for example, Zamil Steel Vietnam Company, Nam Kim Steel Joint Stock Company, etc.

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Rosy path to careers

Whilst vocational school, of course, isn’t for everyone, it can give a rosy path to career with less of financial risk than conventional four-year university education. The young can find themselves in a gainful and fulfilling positions in a short while when they’re willing to delve into and dedicate themselves to the skilled trade.

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What are Requirements to Become a Welder in Vietnam?

Vietnam employees are qualified as welders if ensuring certain personal traits, skills, training and certification. Those are,…

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Welding in Vietnam: In-demand and Good Pay Occupation

As skilled technical workers, welders shape and join pieces of metals utilizing heat produced by lasers or torches. That’s not all, they use the welding skills to fill in holes in the metal and repair the cracks. Other tasks welders are also involved in are maintaining welding equipment and enhancing the finishing touches through smoothing and polishing metal surfaces. Welder are commonly hired in the defense, ship building, aerospace, automotive and construction industries. Welding jobs are now in high demand in Vietnam and the world. There are some requirements to become a welder in Vietnam. Specifics are as below:

Personal qualities

Because welding is a precision required work, it is important to take a detail oriented approach. There requires ability of analysing and solving problems to define and repair flaws in the metal object and structure. The welder also needs a good hand-eye coordination and vision. Strength as well as stamina are other needed traits because the pieces of metal are often heavy, making welding take considerable time.

Training

Proper training for welding career is available from vocational school, private welding schools. Some employers offer on-the-job training while others like better to employ those who have already completed a formal training program.  Sometimes, vocational training centers deliver training courses based on the employer’s recruitment demand. For example, if one company is in need of 30 welders with specific skill requirements and asks the school for its students, the school will plan up to open the appropriate training courses in response to that demand.

Here are some Vietnam vocational schools with welding training included:

- Vabis Hong Lam International Vocational College (Truong Trinh street, Van Hanh, Phu My town, Tan Thanh, Ba Ria – Vung Tau)

- Lilama2 Vocational College (km 32, 51 National Road, Long Thanh, Dong Nai

- Lac Hong University (10 Huynh Van Nghe, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai)

- Ho Chi Minh City College of Technology (502 Do Xuan Hop, Phuoc Binh District, Ward 9, Ho Chi Minh City)

Skills

Beside learning to use welding lasers or torches, the welders have to understand blueprint reading and shop mechanics. The courses in physics, chemistry, mechanical drawing, metallurgy are also useful. Computer use skills is increasingly important for jobs related to the use of automated welding lasers and machines. Though machines do welding, it is the operator that programs the job instructions. Then he must comprehend welding processes for proper programming. Often, employers want to employ those with welding backgrounds for those jobs.

Additionally to being technically skilled, the welders should have ‘can-do’ attitude and work ethic. Arming up with such skills, they can be confident to further their career.

Certification

After their training completion, graduated students will be awarded with a certification. Employers may require their workers to earn one or more welding certifications. 

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34 Interesting Facts about Welding for Your Great Rest at Weekends (Part 4)

Fun facts about welding that may travel you through welding history and grow your love towards welding!

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34 Interesting Facts about Welding for Your Great Rest at Weekends (Part 1)
34 Interesting Facts about Welding for Your Great Rest at Weekends (Part 2)
34 Interesting Facts about Welding for Your Great Rest at Weekends (Part 3)

27. Unlimited career paths for welders to choose

Welding is such an inviting career when offering more options of industries to work in and job advancement opportunities than almost any other careers. Welders are sought after in just about every industry and those desiring to further their career can realize it with further schooling. Some fields that welders can hunt for job opportunities are engineering, inspection, robotics, project management, sales, education, to name a few.

28. Skilled welders are always highly needed

Welding is considered one of few careers always in high demand. As welding workers are highly sought after in just about every industry, they can flexibly switch between industries without changing their career. While career choices often come with ups and downs, welding offer endless job opportunities that consistently fuel the demand.

29. Welding environments can be indoor, outdoor, even in space

The first welding test in space was made in 1969 in an effort to checking whether welding can be conducted in the de-pressurized environment. Those pursuing underwater welding career receive tempting compensation. Still, it should be noted that about 20 people out of 300 have to lose their lives due to the danger related to the process.

30. The average age of welding workers these days is 50+

Most of them will be retired within few years. Then there will be required of skilled, experienced employees to replace them in coming days.

31. Welding is the hot green collar job choice

The energy industry is striving for green future with the domination of green collar jobs. There need alternative energy sources though, at the moment, what green energy source will be the winner is still a question. 

What energy source will become the winner is not that important to the welder. Welders will be in demand no matter what is built inasmuch as it is made of metal. Welding is the safest choice for a green collar job as whatever technology is developed, this career is wanted to make it real.

32. The welding career outlook is awesome

Welders are in demand at all times. Whatever economic performance, so long as there is an thriving industry, welders can land a secure job. As a welder, you can switch industries without changing your career. Over recent years, the recession has hit various careers though, welders are not the victim when simply shifting to another industry.  

33. Various types of welding are used today

The most common forms are Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). 

34. Welding, in many situations, involves incredibly high temperatures

Steel melts about 2800°F.

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Unique Mobile Welding Trailer by M State Has Successfully Met Needs of Companies and Students

The unique welding training trailer by Minnesota State Community and Technical College has won the Minnesota’s State Government Innovation Awards in 2015. This trailer has successfully addressed needs of students and employers.

M State's mobile welding trailer went on the road in May, 2013

This trailer was on top 3 of winners of state government programs recognized during the awards luncheon last July 30th, hosted by University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, sponsored by Bush Foundation.

Around 300 males and females have been trained in the college’s trailer since it first trained on the road in May 2013. As said by director of M State’s Custom Training Services (CTS) – G.L. Tucker, this mobile welding trailer is designed for redefining education. It has increased students’ education accessibility. 

Particularly, the trailer is intended for meeting industry welding training needs in 19-county region of the college, for offering education to workers unable to enroll in credit-based or on-campus courses, and for addressing companies’ skill demands.

The college has collaborated with reliable manpower agencies, state agencies, businesses, and high schools as well to offer the training, which is generally free to the students.

This training trailer is a converted refrigerated semi-trailer. It houses 12 training stations that Josh Heibel – the instructor teaches important welding skills in sessions ranging from 16 – 160 hours. 

As shared by Tucker, “A typical training is whatever is needed. We can customize the curriculum to meet needs of students and companies. We really feel this is invaluable for businesses. It has probably exceeded our expectations as far as demand. At the same time, students are able to get jobs and careers in welding. By all measures, we would say this has been very successful for us and for the students we serve.”

Amid the success of this welding trailer, M State is tapping into grant funds for development of 3 additional trailers that provide training in terms of commercial driver’s licenses, precision measurement/ manufacturing, industrial/ construction workplace safety.

Also included in top 3 are Minnesota Board on Aging’s program that aids in moving home from long term care facilities, and Minnesota Department of Transportation’s process that accelerates bridge construction.

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Welding Skills to be Hottest ever in the Future Job Market

Welding world is hard but extremely rewarding for willing mind, steady hands, creativity. Specially, welding skills sure will be hard sought for amid the world's green economy in the future!

Welding skills never stop being hot!

With fail, welding has been attracting an increasing number of career choices. It has been around in many industries and the decisive factors to many successful finished products. The future door for welding is even opener in midst of green jobs expected to dominate the world economy future.

The world keeps craving for clean energy. Sooner or later, there will be a green economy, but what types of skills will be in demand? In answer to that question, let’s name some clean energies – ethanol, solar, wind, natural gas, among others. All of those industries share one thing in common. That’s metal. Whatever it’s ethanol manufacturing, nuclear power plants, wind and water turbines or natural gas pipe lines, there need piping systems, structures, large storage tanks. And welding is a must-have skill for those green energy solutions.

Welding is not just the green collar job but is a hot skill in those tough times. There needs a relief of serious shortage of skilled welding workers. 

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Welding in Vietnam: In-demand and Good Pay Occupation

And even without being employed in the green industries, skilled welders have been accessible to tons of welding job chances. So just imagine what if the clean energy becomes a hot trend? Welders will be in hottest demand ever. That’s why many enterprises are now cementing their relationship with welding vocational training centers or developing their own training centers as the skills they need aren’t available. They gear those welding programs towards training welding workers to the highest level. For example, welders are required to welding in any position and be capable of producing flawless welds using either right or left hand. It will be a long story to have such perfect welding manpower though, the eventual ending will be rewarding and much satisfying.

Aside from being accessible to the green energy industries, with needed welding skills, welders can seize such good opportunities as – making more money than doctors, travelling around the world without paying any expenses, enjoy high-flying career choices in engineering, education, science, computer programming, etc., 

All in all, welding offer attractive careers, especially for those with can-do attitude and hard work. They will make money, enjoy the job, travel globally, be respected for what they can do, and help make a greener, cleaner, better place to live.

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In Wake of Welder Shortage, Prisons Provide Training

Vocational training in prisons has been effectively provided to address welder shortage. 

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Why the shortage?

America is in need of more welders. Baby boomers with skills will be retiring, and there aren’t enough young people to replace them.

In the ‘80s, America had more than half a million welders. Those days, welding was as hot as welding arcs. These days, there are around 40% fewer welders.

The shortage of welding related jobs will be 300,000 or so by 2020, as estimated by the American Welding Society.

So what’s the answer?

According to Jeremy Worley, a welding teacher at a technical college in the North Georgia, there is a growing demand for welder. So he will teach welding to anyone at any age, from anywhere. Those from Walker State Prison isn’t an exception. As part of Georgia’s on-going prison reform, prisoners would be permitted to access heavy tools, blowtorches to get hold of a welding certificate.

"If it's an opportunity for me to dive into welding and they say I have a job here, I'm going to say, 'That's me””, said Christopher Peeples , 26, at the end of his mandatory 10-year prison sentence for his armed robbery when being 17.

John Turner, a former student of the prison welding program, describes himself as a really good welder. He was released last month, and had 3 job offers.

Gardner Carrick is in the Manufacturing Institute, the Washington, D.C. based training arm of the National Association of Manufacturers. He supports such prison programs as the one in Georgia. He said, "We certainly would love to see prisoners successfully reintegrate into the community and into the economy. So if welding is a vehicle by which that can happen, then I think that's great to hear.”

But that is not enough to fulfill the need. Carrick said, U.S education policy is associated with lack of skilled labor. “"We made the decision that all kids should go to college and as a result you saw the elimination of a lot of the technical programs at the high school level.” Carrick’s group is working hard for more skills training and programs that attract more teenagers to manufacturing careers. And many enterprises have kicked off their own apprenticeship programs.

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