Solving The Welder Shortage

The nation is starving for welders. Here's how you can make a difference.

By Jim Horvath

The last thing any welding supply distributor wants to contemplate on top of the mounting economic issues already facing businesses today is an eroding customer base. But that is the scenario unfolding as the dearth of qualified welding personnel in North America reaches epidemic proportions. It has become a critical part of a sweeping skills shortage that has weighed on the industry, resulting in growing backlogs and shrinking output, and everyone, from suppliers to end-users, is feeling the effects.

There is no doubt that "it's a great time to be a welder," as reported in an August 15, 2006, Wall Street Journal article, "Where Have All the Welders Gone As Manufacturing and Repair Boom?" The writer describes a nation that is literally starving for welders, as corporations, both large and small, are resorting to offers of unprecedented pay and benefits to entice career-minded youth to the field and replenish this diminishing breed.

Studies have shown that there are more than 500,000 welders employed in the United States. The need for these skilled workers is only getting stronger as virtually all construction and manufacturing companies require some form of welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair. Then why is the industry shrinking?

Severe Consequences
Here's the problem: According to industry research, the average age of a welder is in the mid-50s, with many approaching 60 years old. This has resulted in continuing heavy losses to the skills base without the benefit of a proper succession plan to curtail a potential problem. So what's the bottom line? The American Welding Society predicts a possible shortage of more than 200,000 skilled welders by 2010. Simply put, that translates to less business productivity, less purchasing power and lower revenues.

Consequences of this problem can be severe and are already emerging across several critical industries where welders are integral to the manufacturing and construction process. These include national security and defense, energy production, transportation, steel construction, auto production, shipbuilding, metal fabrication, aerospace and more. As these sectors continue to win contracts for costly projects, welders will be required to carry out much of the labor.

In addition, North America's aging infrastructure, much of which was constructed throughout the 1950s and 1960s, must be renovated and rebuilt to support and protect our growing population. In fact, the U.S. infrastructure—congested highways, overflowing sewers and corroding bridges-received a "D" grading in the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. To remedy the problem, as evidenced by the destruction of New Orleans' barrier levees during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the more recent discovery of the corroded oil and gas pipelines in Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, the ASCE estimates an investment need of $1.6 trillion over a five-year period from all levels of government and the private sector.

Welders provide a particularly important function to infrastructure development, as they can make critical decisions, work in nearly any environment, and react quickly to shifting demands-requirements that make automation nearly impossible. Also, in the maintenance and repair market segment, a high degree of knowledge and skill is necessary for tasks that are difficult or impossible to automate.

Attracting Talent
It may seem reasonable to think that an industry hungry for workers would have people lined up at its door as competition for jobs across the board grows tougher every year. But the reality reflects a rather different, and quite dim, image. In fact, it's downright gloomy. One of the industry's biggest challenges today is attracting young talent, which is attributable in large part to a tarnished image that evokes memories of days long ago when welders thrived on the factory floor.

Many of us still correlate welding with black and white photos of tired welders covered in scuff marks and dressed in soiled clothing. The problem has become so acute that employers are resorting to never-before-used tactics to lure candidates and alleviate production bottlenecks. But not even the proposition of salaries ranging from $40,000 to $70,000 at the end of a typical four-year program that includes on-the-job training and schooling has been enough to persuade the nation's youth.

But welding has a new spark. As the industry continues to grow and change with the advancement of technology, the field is no longer confined to the dark and dirty setting reminiscent of last century's industrial era. Advances in manufacturing technology have transformed the industry and expanded career opportunities to include growth in welding-related professions, such as sales, engineering, business, teaching and research. What begins with a welding torch can ignite a journey into new territories. The field is limitless.

Distributors Can Help
The writing is on the wall. Unless we take immediate action, we are well on our way to a situation that can cause even further damage to our businesses and industry. So, the question remains, what can a distributor do to help? Several things. In fact, we can contribute to solving the problem by taking simple actions on a daily basis that can improve the image of welding as a profession and attract young adults to the industry.

Here are just a few ways we can pass along the message and entice young people to fill these critical roles:

• Support Your Local Welding School. Consider donating shielding gases to welder training programs in your area as a means of cutting their costs. They can certainly use the financial help, and the school would probably be glad to acknowledge your business as a local supporter. This also promotes your company as people-friendly and trustworthy and would likely increase your word-of-mouth advertising.
• Sponsor a Scholarship. Provide funding for scholarships that are awarded locally by AWS Sections, regionally by AWS Districts and nationally by the AWS Foundation through the Education Scholarship Committee. The AWS Foundation has awarded over $3.1 million to nearly 2,000 students seeking careers in welding and allied processes.
• Go Pro Bono. Conduct complimentary community welding in cooperation with volunteer welders on local construction projects, such as schools and hospitals, to show its importance to the public. You may also receive media attention for doing a good deed for the enhancement of the community.
  Send a Letter. Submit a letter to the editor of your local newspaper describing the problem. You can use this as an opportunity to not only enhance the image of welding, but also enhance your corporate image by talking about ways in which your company's culture is unique and exciting. Also, provide examples of welding jobs available in the community.
• Get Involved. Participate in local high school career days to recruit talent and provide students with information on welding and related careers at your company and customers.
• Fund a TV Commercial. Provide funding for the airing of AWS's 30- or 60-second career commercials on local cable television.

Welding is a profession that strengthens our country in so many ways. We understand the benefits of contributing to this critical profession, but we must take the next step to make a positive change and fulfill this growing need.