Welding News Tidbits

See what’s going on in the global welding now!

It seems that welding training has been the talk of the town lately when it has thick coverage on recent news and updates about welding. Skills shortage in welding is the hot issue to be successfully tackled if enterprises want to grow higher with their business and industries that have involvement of welding don’t want interruption in their production process. Specially, the world is more favoring green energy sectors, which make welding skills much hotter. Obviously, the demand for them is increasingly high, but not otherwise. Let’s take some minutes to see what happens in the global welding now – rather, how welding job training is going?

1. New programs train inmates for welding jobs using grant

Seven offenders graduated from a new Work Ready Oklahoma welding program, and are now employable in the welding trade.

Six-week mobile welding programs have been given to offenders at Oklahoma City Community Corrections Center. This welding certificate program is the result of a partnership between Oklahoma Department of Corrections and local businesses and organizations, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor grant. On September 10th, 2015, seven inmates gathered to graduate from the welding program – the first of its kind in Oklahoma. They made up the first class in this new program, where they learned basics of welding, safety techniques and life skills as well. They were trained by local teachers, offered with space and equipment by local businesses, and got employment assistance from the local non-profit. This is considered a great opportunity for offenders to hone welding skills and reintegrate into the society. 

2. A private welding school opens in Fleming County

A welding school was founded by the Kentucky Welding Institute (KWI) in Fleming County on August 27th, 2015. Up to now, there have been space for around 20 – 22 students. The school has 20 student booths and 2 instructor booths. But as a result of high demand for the program, there expect 10 more booths after all. By the end of each program, students will be fully certified and qualified for their jobs. What set KWI apart is the portable program, environmental friendly atmosphere, the lifetime work guarantee and the brush-up opportunities.

3. New welding accredited certification at WKCTC is transferable

Transferable welding certifications are now offered by West Kentucky Community and Technical College 

The welding technology program in WKCTC (West Kentucky Community and Technical College) has become only the 2nd welding program in Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and the 4th state-wide to be accepted as an AWS Accredited Test Facility by American Welding Society (AWS)

The AWS Accredited Test Facility program develops minimum requirements for the test facilities, their personnel and equipment to test and qualify welding workers. Previously, students at WKCTC took welding certification tests. And when they become employed, they could prove about their capability of passing a certification test. Still, they could then be required to sit the same test for that enterprise. Now, if a student chooses to pay AWS $35 fee, he/ she will have his/ her name listed as a certified welder in the world-wide accepted registry of AWS. 

For companies, they benefit, too. In the past, when a candidate took the test, the results were held by the enterprises paying for him/ her to test. Now, the accredited certification is transferable from one enterprise to another. That means, when a person for WKCT walks in for a job interview, holding that certification, there is no need to pay for him/ her to be tested, which can be pretty costly for the enterprise: $300-$500.

4. Gateway providing introductory welding courses

Gateway will offer two welding introduction courses in September and October, 2015.

The one-day classes will be held on September 26th and October 3rd, 2015.

Gateway Community and Technical College will provide 2 welding introduction courses at its Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the Boone Campus in Florence – those are, Introduction to 1G Stic, and Introduction to 1G Mig.

Those courses are intended for mechanics, maintenance workers, farmers or anyone interested in welding. In 8 hours, participants will learn basic safety, machine set-up, and how to strike arc and stringer beads.

Introduction to 1G Stic will be held on September 26th, 2015, and the other on October 3rd, 2015. They are both from 8 a.m to 4 p.m.

Cost is $200 per participant per course. Participants take responsibility for personal protective equipment, inclusive of welding helmets, gloves, safety glasses, and any other required equipment.

The deadline to register for the course Introduction to 1G Stic is September 23rd, 2015, and for the other, the deadline is September 30th, 2015.

To register or for more information, you can contact Regina Schadler at 859-442-1170 or via regina.schadler@kctcs.edu.

5. Group bringing welding to the classroom

The Canadian Welding Foundation is looking to introduce the profession to high school students. Just about all other provinces already provide welding courses at the junior high and high school level though, no such program is accessible in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The foundation is now working with Skills Canada to find out ways to make welding more popular among young people in this province. Though a summer camp was provided in St. John’s for the girls this year, ultimately, the goal is a program that is more permanent. 

In some schools in Canada, welding is provided from grades 9-12; some offer it in every school, but there are still some that welding is available at a select few.

There is a shortage of trades around the nation, then to expose students to a profession at their young age couldn’t just spark their interest, but a career. Because the average age of welder is 59, there is going to be a serious shortage in the future.

For those who are interested in:

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New State-of-the-art Welding Training Center Opens to Address Skills Gap

A new welding training center opened on August 21st to address skills gap between the industry and higher education.

Lance Bolton, president of Pikes Peak Community College (left) and Tom Neppl, president and chief executive of Springs Fabrication (right) coordinated in opening a new welding training center to fill skills gap.

Called as ‘the first of its kind’ by Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) and Springs Fabrication leaders, the new state-of-the-art welding training center for high school and college opened on August 21st to fill the skills gap. Shiny new equipment accommodates 15 training welding booths in one of the metal manufacturing buildings of Springs Fabrication on Colorado Springs’ East side. A large classroom down the hall has been completed.

PPCC invested around $130,000 to open this center, and Springs Fabrication used $40,000 for materials, construction costs and upgrades. Also, PPCC supplies classroom furniture, faculty and instructional technology equipment, and handle a monthly rent.

Last Thursday was the grand opening of the new education venture between Pikes Peak Community College and Springs Fabrication, a local business. As said by president of PPCC, Lance Bolton, “This is really unprecedented to have this level of partnership with private industry. It’s on the leading edge”. Both have been eyeing for united efforts for over a year. 

Neppl, president and chief executive of Springs Fabrication, said that lots of graduates from college with degrees that didn’t apply to today’s job, and welding had been at the end of that spectrum. As 55 is the average age of a welder, so many in the laborforce are retiring, and it has been difficult for business owners to seek out qualified welders. He said, “Before the oil and gas bust, it was extremely hard, next to impossible to find skilled workers and hang on to them. Manufacturing skills in general are needed everywhere in the business.”

Meanwhile, as revealed by instructor Lee Corn, the student demand is high. Then developing this center will reply to both students and industry’s demands. Neppl said, this program is geared toward training the entire workforce and for industry and community, not just for funneling graduates to work for his company.

Students study shielded metal arc, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc and other aspects of metal fabrication, and can get hold of associate's degrees or certificates from PPCC.

Springs Fabrication is also using this center for training and testing its workers on advanced welding techniques. The new equipment give immediate feedback on work. 

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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.

For those who are interested in:

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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.

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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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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.

You may be also be interested in:
Welding Skills to be Hottest ever in the Future Job Market

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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