“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
–Benjamin Franklin, American inventor
Many Jobs, Few Workers
Can you imagine a world where employment opportunities in manufacturing flow in abundance like wine from a bottomless cup? Fortunately for welders, this scenario already exists. With an average of 300,000 new manufacturing jobs available every month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics touts that 2015 has been – and will continue to be – a prosperous year for the industry. And the buck doesn’t stop there! Industry experts predict a massive increase, with 3.5 million jobs up for grabs within the next ten years.
Despite the bright outlook, many of our nation’s welders won’t be sipping from the industry’s overflowing cup of opportunity. Out of the estimated 3.5 million jobs that will be available, only 1.5 million are expected to be filled, thus leaving a staggering 2 million jobs by the wayside. With more than 8 million Americans unemployed, the ratio of filled to unfilled jobs is alarming.
Industry Demands STEM Skills
Manufacturers nationwide point to an ever-growing “skills gap” as the culprit. For years, manufacturers have reported the unemployability of young welders, citing a gulf-sized difference between the skills employers need and the skills jobseekers actually have. Economist and author Thomas L. Friedman posits that the problem begins with education. “Welding is a STEM job,” he states, “that is, a job that requires knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math.” Long gone are the days of low-skilled welders who perform menial, repetitive tasks all day. To stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly high-tech and global market, today’s manufacturers are calling for innovative welders who can take the industry to the next level. Innovation is driven by STEM, and welders who don’t possess STEM skills will quickly get left behind.
However, the manufacturing industry refuses to idly sit by while America’s infrastructure crumbles. With the second annual Manufacturing Day on Oct. 2, workers and manufacturers across the nation are hoping to shed light on the growing problem. The event is meant to foster the industry’s growth by inspiring the next generation of workers, as well as providing manufacturers with a platform on which to discuss industry issues, such as the skilled labor shortage.
AWS Takes the Next Step
Dedicated to the cause, the American Welding Society has pledged its support to Manufacturing Day. However, AWS also recognizes that publicizing the problem will only accomplish so much. To get to the root of the problem, AWS has launched the first Online Educational Library geared specifically to the needs of 21st century welding students and educators. The Library is a voluminous collection of online courses that provide students with over 75 hours of learning. The educational content covers the core skills required to meet the industry’s high standards. With innovative technology and 24/7 access from any device, the AWS Online Educational Library is allowing tech savvy students to learn in their preferred way – anytime, anywhere.
AWS is dedicated to finding new and better ways to educate welders and secure the prosperity of the manufacturing industry. However, to stay relevant in a field that is constantly molded by technological advancements, welders need to invest in and commit to life-long learning. Planet Money’s Adam Davidson said it best: “If you want to succeed for the coming decades, you don’t just need to be trained and then a few years later retrained. You need a continuous improvement in your education. The main skill you need is the skill to learn more skills.”
Very interesting
I enjoyed this article and I absolutely agree. However, I think a better approach would be to introduce welding to people of STEM. It is easier to train nan engineer to weld than it is to train a welder to engineer. I am an engineering student who was introduced to welding about a year ago and fell in love. I think welding is one of those activities that most engineers would enjoy because of the planning, math, and technology involved.
I am a high school and college welding teacher. I see a real problem with students being able to do math. They push the advanced math and yes these students need it, but they never re-visit basic math. So I have students that can not pass an entry exam into industry, which just has basic math.
Another problem I see students can not measure, not even with a basic tape measure. We need to re – teach basic math to these students. I do re- teach basic math to my students.
Thank you for the post!!!!!!