Welding Skills Gap Presenting Opportunities to Employers and Skilled Workers

Welding skills gap is definitely a challenge for employers; yet, it also presents amazing opportunities for many.

If you are working in the manufacturing industry, you have heard of skills gap. It refers to existing and growing shortage of skilled workforce in the manufacturing sector. This is not isolated to a single country; this is a world-level problem. There are some numbers thrown around. Though those are all estimates, they are scary enough. We will expect a shortage of around 500,000 skilled workers by 2020 in the U.S alone. As suggested in some studies, there will have been a shortage of 2 million skilled workers here by early 2025. This shortage is sure a challenge for employers in particular and the manufacturing sector in general; yet, it also presents amazing opportunities for many.

The skills gap is associated with shortage of applicants for manufacturing positions with proficiency in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Lack of those skills strikes many jobs, some of the most hit are: researchers, machinists, researchers and welders.

This shortage is created by some factors, and the main ones are:

1. Average age of skilled workers

Many more workers are retiring, posting the challenge of looking for workers with comparable skills.

2. Perception of manufacturing as a ‘dirty’ sector

By manufacturing, many of the young associate it with being dirty and requiring lots of physical activities. They prefer desk jobs that utilize software and technology to shop-floor jobs regardless of pay. There is a great deal of technology in manufacturing; we just need do a better job changing perception of this industry for young generations.

There are good on-the-job training programs, but there are still...

3. Poor on-the-job training

Just a few enterprises have excellent training programs for their workers. This is required for staying on top of latest technology and staying competitive. Investing in human resources also boosts up employee morale and lower turnover.

For those who are interested in:

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4. Poor education of youth

A considerable number of high school graduates express interest in the STEM careers; still, just a humble number meet the required level of proficiency.

All those seem like bad news. It is, indeed. Still, there are numerous programs in place, and many more coming to deal with the skills gap issue. In spite of the challenges, the skills gap provides many opportunities to employers and skilled workers.

The skills gap provides many opportunities to employers and skilled workers.

Opportunities for employers

If employers can offer excellent internal training programs, they can improve skills and secure qualified skilled welders. This leads to less turnover and reduced costs. It will also help keep updated with technology and become more cost competitive in the market.

Opportunities for job seekers

For those wanting to land a job in manufacturing, this is also an opportunity. There will be lots of jobs. Still, it is important to bear in mind that there are many available vacancies isn’t synonymous that employers are lowering standards. Employees that excel in their trade will entertain higher pay and perks.

Is your enterprise already being hit by the skills gap? What are you doing about it?

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Cool Welding Facts with Image – Fact #3

How about your welding careers in the next 8 years? 

…You can't find a job that pays welders what they are worth?

You will start your own shop?

Your careers in welding will be bright like your arc?

You have no idea?

Of course, there will be both optimistic and otherwise answers to this question. But come on, let’s be hopeful and confident about your career future. You know, welders that work with their hands are laborers; welders that work with their hands and mind are craftsmen; and welders that work with their hands, mind and heart are artists. 

Then just live fully each and every moment of your life. Take good care of your family, and also pour out your heart in your weld creations. Work hard and trust in bright present and tomorrow. If your employer is unfair about pays, working hours or the like, gather with other welders to negotiate with your boss. Welding skills have been increasingly needed. If you are competent and keeping good code of ethics, your boss will find ways to retain you, and accept your reasonable demands.

Welders can involve in just about every industry, and will be highly accessible to the green industries:

Welding Skills to be Hottest ever in the Future Job Market

Welding in Vietnam: In-demand and Good Pay Occupation

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Post Welding Operations to Ensure Productivity

Post welding operations is crucial to the quality control. Smooth them to ensure your weld quality and success.

In pursuing the careers in welding, rather, being a fitter welder, there may be nothing more satisfactory than having your job done and admiring your creation with the clever hands. Still, to enjoy that moment, you should make sure the job is well done, on time and aligned with all requirement. Any qualified work would scream professionalism, time and waste reduction and customer satisfaction. Then let’s see what post welding operations to ensure productivity are.

Your weld done?

By the time you have finished your weld, just clean and have a visual inspection of your work. Utilizing a fillet gauge or flashlight to find for abnormalities or defects, inclusive of flaws, dimension errors, shadows.

Following are problems that you should care about:

1. Underfilled groove welds, oversized welds or undersized fillet welds.

Solution: add to the existing weld for requirements met and re-measure using fillet gauge.

2. Porosity: There may appear holes within the weld or on the surface due to trapped gas.

Solution: first check with QC, then carbon arc your weld and reweld, or grind/ chip away slag. Ensure you make carbon arcing disengagement as soon as possible for injury prevention.

3. Undercut welds (over 1/32’’): They result from the welding arc without being backfilled. This problem, sometimes, occurs when you weld too fast or weld at bad angle. Relies on the material thickness.

Solution: Add 1/8”- 3/16” to the weld’s top toe area. If the weld comes with concave throat, or tall top-toe and short bottom-toe, attempt some addition to the bottom toe first, then repair the top toe. Check how qualified the weld bead is. Don’t grind out, oversize the base metal, or fix the undercut using the air chipper to peen the toes, unless directed by the QC.

4. Wire whiskers: The wire is fused to your weld, causing holes.

Solution: Grind away the holes, and reweld.

5. Lacking fusion (roll over/ cold roll): This can induce cracks, and affect the weld strength.

Solution: Grind away unwanted metal, measure again and weld again.

6. Cracks: This would do harm to the weld strength, and must be definitely eliminated. For example, 

• Crater crack occurs when your weld is stopped, and there appears the star-shaped pattern at the weld end.
• Face crack occurs when there is weld surface tension. It’s observable, especially in the concave weld bead.
• Heat-affected-zone (HAZ) crack comes from a flaw in the material worsened during the welding process. Sometimes, it’s visible. If not, there may need Non-Destructive Testing techniques.

Solution: Check the condition with QC, but commonly, cracks are required to be eliminated and weld refilled to address requirements.

Your weld done!

Ensure you fill out the inspection wheel and get your material inspected by the QC. Just check with the shop lead, and work well with the place that will next send your material. As far as safety comes, alert the next station (shipping, painting or blasting) whether your material is hot.

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