According to the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium, 70% of all manufactured products require welding (the joining of metal parts by applying heat) at some point in their creation. “The industries that use welding to manufacture their products are the driving force of a modern economy. They are largely responsible for the infrastructure, capital goods, and commercial products that sustain a relatively high standard of living for billions of people across the world.”
Unfortunately, welding suffers the same labor gap as other skilled jobs in manufacturing. More than 159,000 welders are nearing retirement, according to The American Welding Society (AWS), while 330,000 new welding professionals are projected to be needed by 2028. Welding Digest notes, “Fixing the [welding] labor gap is on everyone’s mind right now.”
AWS points out that the national median salary for welding jobs is $53,500. Water Welders notes that in many cases welders are making $75,000 or more.
So why is there a shortage of new welding talent?
The problem is one Industry Today has reported on for a long time. Despite the increasing use of automation and digital technology, many young people entering the workforce view manufacturing as a dirty industry involving boring jobs. Efforts such as Manufacturing Day help dispel some of those perceptions.
But welding in particular may find it hard to shake off that image. Welders do work under hazardous conditions and do get injured. Which is why proper training is essential. And, as the AWS points out, “Attending a technical school to become a welder is an investment that pays off quicker than pursuing a four-year degree.”
One response to address the shortage in trained welders is robotic welding. As Mikko Urho, CEO of Visual Components, points out in How OLP Can Solve the Welding Skills Shortage in U.S. Manufacturing, “The welding skills shortfall is a significant threat to the manufacturing sector in the U.S. As the potential impact on the production of essential goods looms large, robotic welding deployments present themselves as a viable solution to maintaining productivity levels.” It is not a perfect solution, however, as robotic welding requires effective programming and skilled programmers, bringing us back to the whole problem of attracting and retaining the necessary talent. And there are always certain welding tasks, particularly for custom manufacturing where human welders are required.
How is your organization affected by the looming shortage of welding talent and what steps are you taking to recruit and train qualified welders? Please see our editorial guidelines to share your experiences with our readers.
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Susan Poeton 