6 Best Ways to Address Shortage of Skilled Welders

From the oil and gas industry to automotive, high technology and even wrought iron fencing, enterprises from Fortune 1000s to small businesses are struggling to seek out workers with work ethic and proper skills to fill their welding vacancies. There are some ways that you can apply to find out right workers, improve staff retention and lower training costs.

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There are growing demands for welding skills amid the global economy transitioning toward clean energy sectors and because of  improper training curriculum, common opinions that seemingly default welding jobs and many skilled trade jobs as ‘dirty’ jobs, and others. The U.S labor market is a good example. By 2020, manufacturers here will need nearly 300,000 new and replacement welders, according to American Welding Society. On the Gulf Coast of the U.S, demand for welders is so high. According to Peter Huntsman, chief executive officer of Huntsman Corp. – a chemical maker, if every citizen between the age of 5 – 85 in the St. Charles area of Texas were provided with welding training, it still wouldn’t be enough to address the need.

From the oil and gas industry to automotive, high technology and even wrought iron fencing, enterprises from Fortune 1000s to small business are struggling to seek out workers with work ethic and proper skills to fill their welding vacancies. 

If your enterprise is having hard time finding welders or other skilled workers, or having a high turnover rate for those types of positions, there are some ways to find out workers you need, improve staff retention and lower training costs.

1. Partnering with local schools to develop their welding programs

Hundreds of high schools and higher education institutions are tailoring welding programs to address the growing need. By partnering with the local schools, you can develop their welding programs in line with your specific sector as well as product line. This will shorten the on-the-job learning curve, lower your training costs and enable you to personally choose the best candidates for your vacancies.

2. Providing a work-study program

Obviously, real-world experience gives a richer learning environment than just only class/ shop work. Why not work with the vocational training center to develop a work-study program that students can study welding, and then work at the shop-floor on a part-time basis?

3. Being a known face in your community

Meet with school and community leaders and show your commitment to educational training. Personally work with the institutions to make sure they have equipment and materials necessary to offer your enterprise the best workers.

4. Starting to communicate early

It is too late to cultivate college seniors. Make sure that your marketing team is starting the student relationship in the freshman year.

5. Offering tuition reimbursement and other incentives

Find ways to be more competitive than other enterprises in your area. For example, high school students accepted for employment in your company have their tuition reimbursement following their working at your company for a designated length of time.

6. Having a long-term vision for the future of your welders with the company

Maybe your HR professionals have hired the requisite number of welders and have their supervisors take care of them. Still, keeping great welders doesn’t end here. Make sure your welders and other skilled workers are being continually trained on latest technologies and manufacturing methods.

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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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