The number of aspiring tradespeople has fluctuated dramatically over the last century. Interest has dwindled due to self-employment hustles and getting a headstart in emerging fields. Stakeholders in the welding industry need to appeal to the preferences of the next generation of workers with technology.
Using advanced electronic and digital assets will spark interest and encourage upskilling in a struggling sector. These resources are leading the way.
Robotic and Laser Welding
According to the American Welding Society (AWS), the nation will need 330,000 more welders by 2028, and only 9.4% of the current workforce of 771,000 are under 25 years old.
Instead of wasting years refining the next workforce’s precision skills, they can work alongside a robot with lasers to achieve the same results. This helps companies get workers in the field expediently and confidently. Robotics is a collaborative effort between human and machine to perform several welding methods, including but not limited to:
- Arc welding.
- Tungsten inert gas welding.
- Metal inert gas welding.
- Oxy-acetylene welding.
These help bridge skills gaps because they calm safety fears associated with welding. The sensor technologies in many robots automate precision control, and operators merely need to program and oversee. Many even include seam trackers, so the robotic lasers can acclimate to unique workpieces. Knowing how to interact with robotic welding systems allows workers wider versatility between industries, including aerospace and construction.
Gamification
Gamification may include countless modern technologies. However, it is the perfect way to contextualize next-generation welding equipment for younger generations. As a recent event in Belarus discovered, it will particularly appeal to those who thrive on competition.
Vocational educators met at the Industrial and Pedagogical College of UE RIPO for four days to host a skills competition. The environment was ideal for aggressively mending skills gaps led by professionals. These settings are critical for rapid knowledge spread and exposing many people to new technologies simultaneously. Without this event, these students would not have received dedicated training as quickly as they did.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Some organizations do on-the-job training, but AR allows those onboarding to enter the workforce more prepared than ever. The AWS partnered with several organizations to create welding equipment kits as a school grant program. Each kit, worth around $14,000, contains necessary tools like a plasma cutter and safety screens. However, they also contain the MobileArc AR welding system to simulate realistic experiences in more educational spaces.
This allows students of all ages to enter the welding world. Exposure to its concepts early in their education will pique the interest of more diverse learners.
Renewable Energy
Younger workers are stimulated by climate conversations in their personal and professional lives. If the welding industry advertised training programs with a sustainable lean, learners might engage. They would see it as an opportunity to step into the clean energy sector, which is growing steadily. Many renewable generators are still new technologies in the grand scheme, teaching students the skills needed to develop future society.
A recent survey in Australia revealed the implications of welding skills gaps and labor shortages. The nation wants to achieve emission targets and can only do that if welders are available to construct renewable technologies. The country needs 11,000 wind towers, each containing 500 tons of steel plates to reach its goal. It needs 70,000 more welders by 2030, and to entice and educate the masses, 60% of Australian companies are prioritizing upskilling and training.
Welders need renewable energy technologies to incentivize the next generation to commit to work with a greater sense of purpose.
Aging Welders
Many tenured professionals are retiring, so the following generations must compensate for their absence. Technology will need to be an incentive to get people in the door. It will hasten training, and it will make the industry feel modern. If more people see welding beyond the dirt and grime, then the public will soon understand it is technologically demanding and advanced.
