According to a recent article in Forbes, “The average welder is 54 years old, compared with about age 40 for the American workforce as a whole. Young people simply aren’t going into skilled trades like welding.” The lack of skilled labor in the American economy is a real issue today.
As with many older trade types, welding sometimes gets the reputation for being old fashioned, and often gets ignored as a profession altogether. There are a few theories that try to explain why the number of welders entering the workforce year after year seems to be declining.
Welding Misconceptions
Contrary to what many people believe, welding services jobs can pay quite well, and with the current shortage in skilled labor, there are plenty of opportunities for overtime. Plus, the education requirements are typically less expensive than many other professions that offer a similar salary.
That’s not to say, however, that anyone can be a welder, and that no education is required. It takes a certain type of person, for sure. It also requires that educational opportunities be more present in schools. Another reason that the profession is not as popular as it could be may be attributed to a lack of awareness and availability of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in schools today.
Understanding the Art of Welding
Many people don’t necessarily think of welding as a form of art, but simply as a trade. Our staff of welders at Axenics, however, would have to disagree.
We like to think of welding as a complex process that requires not only the right set of skills, but also a strong passion for continuously learning how to improve those skills. Therefore, art seems to be a more fitting word for the trade that we are all so passionate about.