Bruce Vernyi, Editor-in-Chief E-mail: bvernyi@penton.com

Although everyone acknowledges that there is a growing shortage of welders, it often seems difficult to convince welders that there is.

On the WeldingWeb Internet forum, a recent thread had a new welder asking if seasoned, journeymen welders thought he could make a good living as an independent, working for himself from job-to-job, and which industries would be the best for him to concentrate on.

You can read the thread at http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=20589.

The answer came back: “Yes, you can earn a living, but you’d better be prepared to work harder than the guys who are drawing a weekly check,” because a s an independent you’ll not only have to get your welding done, but there is going to be a lot of follow-up in maintenance on equipment, servicing up for the next day’s work, record keeping, billing, paying for workers’ compensation and other insurance, including costly liability insurance.

There was general agreement among the seasoned pros that those challenges were accurate for what a new guy would face in trying to get into the industry, and they offered plenty of good advice on what a new guy faces in trying to get into the business.

But then the conversation shifted to the industries in which someone new could begin to build a career, and the conversation fell apart.

The first industries that came up were the oil field and energy business and heavy-equipment/ construction business. And, almost immediately, an old oil field hand threw in the comment that an oil rig can’t be given away when the price of oil is down.

After that, there wasn’t much talk about where a new guy could start, and it seems that continues to be the sticking point for the argument that there are opportunities in this business.

So, I’m throwing out the general question: If you have – or know – a young person, male or female, who’s between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, where would you tell them to start building a career in welding?

Let’s presume that they really start by getting a solid education at one of the many technical schools or community colleges across the country, so they have basic skills, and that they are willing to work. (I know those are two big presumptions, but let’s take them as that, and not argue about whether people in that age group are willing to work.)

I’m in northeastern Ohio, and I’ve seen classified ads in the newspaper that say “Welders wanted,” but, for the most part, those ads stipulate that only experienced, skilled welders need to apply, and I suspect similar requirements are laying in wait for anyone who sees a sign in front of an industrial building that advertises a job inside.

We can’t communicate the fact that there are opportunities in welding unless we in the industry have a solid idea of where those opportunities lie, and I’m not sure anyone really has anything more than a vague idea of about that.

I am chairman of the Image of Welding Committee for the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee for the American Welding Society, and that committee is facing the challenge of getting the word out on opportunities in the industry, and we can use your help to do that.

One more reminder:
It is time to make nominations for the American Welding Society’s and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Commi t tee’s (WEMCO) 6th annual Image of Welding Awards.

The deadline for submissions is June 15.

The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have shown exemplary dedication to promoting the image of welding in their communities, and they will be made at the FabTech International/AWS Welding Show in Las Vegas in October.

Everyone involved in welding is eligible for the award, and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee’s Image of Welding Subcommittee will provide the judging for the nominees.

You can get the details for the nominations at http://files.aws.org/pr/013108.pdf.