The Global Welding Skills Gap: Not a Myth, but a Warning

Across the globe, the welding industry is facing a growing skills gap that is no longer theoretical or cyclical — it is structural, measurable, and accelerating.

What was once dismissed as “just another labour shortage” is now widely recognised as a serious risk to infrastructure delivery, manufacturing capacity, energy transition projects, and defence supply chains.

This issue was explored in depth during a recent episode of Weld Wednesday with AWS (The America Welding Society*), recorded live at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago. The conversation brought together industry educator and AWS representative with Andrew Brown, host of The Lost Art of Skilled Trades Podcast, to unpack the real numbers and real-world consequences behind the shortage.

The conclusion was clear: The skilled trades gap is not a myth — it is a warning.

*Australian Welding Solutions is Australia’s only approved Agent for the American Welding Society

The Numbers Behind the Shortage

Globally, demand for qualified welders continues to outpace supply. In the United States alone, industry forecasts project the need for more than 320,000 additional welders by 2029. At the same time, a looming retirement wave is expected to remove over 157,000 experienced welders from the workforce within the next decade.

In Australia, the Occupational Shortage List (OSL) published by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) shows:

1. Shortage is skills-based, not just headcount

The OSL evidence consistently shows Employers can sometimes find welders but cannot find welders with the required competencies, such as:

• • Code-compliant structural welding
  • Pressure equipment / inspection readiness
  • Defence-grade fabrication
  • Advanced process experience (TIG, FCAW, automated)

This is why shortages persist even when total employment numbers appear stable.

2. Training throughput is a constraint

JSA analysis highlights:

• Apprenticeship commencements ≠ completions
• Long lead time to produce fully competent welders
• Shortage of experienced trainers and supervisors

This aligns directly with the case for alternative, flexible and upskilling-focused training pathways.

3. Ageing workforce amplifies severity

For welding occupations:

• Median age is above the all-occupation average
• Retirement exits exceed new skilled entrants in many regions

Rapid expansion across infrastructure, energy, transport and defence is driving strong demand for welding skills in Australia. Further, increasing technical complexity and compliance requirements are widening the gap between what industry needs and what the workforce can supply.

Why the Pipeline Is Broken

1. Demographics and Retirements

For decades, welding was a stable, long-term career. Many tradespeople who entered the industry in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s are now approaching retirement age. In many cases, there are not enough mid-career welders ready to step into supervisory, inspection, or mentoring roles — let alone enough new entrants to replace them on the tools.

2. Disconnect with Gen Z

A recurring theme in the Podcast discussion was the difficulty many employers face connecting with younger workers. Gen Z is not rejecting skilled trades outright — but they are asking different questions:

• What does career progression look like?
• Is the workplace safe, flexible, and respectful?
• Are wages competitive with other technical careers?
• Will I be trained, or just thrown into production?

Companies that still rely on “post a job ad and wait” strategies are finding those methods no longer work.

3. Wages vs Expectations

In some regions, entry-level wages have failed to keep pace with living costs or alternative career paths.

At the same time, employers often expect job-ready skills immediately, leaving little room for structured development. This mismatch discourages potential entrants before they even start.

Mentorship vs Gatekeeping

One of the most powerful themes to emerge was the difference between mentorship and gatekeeping.

Many experienced welders recall struggling to find someone willing to teach them properly. Unfortunately, that cycle often repeats: knowledge is protected rather than passed on, and new entrants are expected to “figure it out” under pressure.

The industry cannot afford this anymore.

Mentorship is not a soft concept — it is a workforce strategy. Passing down practical knowledge, judgment, and pride in workmanship is critical if the next generation is to succeed. Without it, skills are lost permanently, not just delayed.

Automation Won’t Replace Welders — It Will Change Them

Automation, robotics, and collaborative robots (co-bots) are transforming fabrication environments, but they are not eliminating the need for skilled tradespeople.

Instead, they are:

• Shifting welders into higher-skill roles
• Increasing the need for setup, oversight, inspection, and problem-solving
• Reinforcing the importance of welding fundamentals and metallurgy
• Expanding opportunities in aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, and energy

Welders, pipefitters, ironworkers, and specialist fabricators remain irreplaceable — particularly where quality, safety, and compliance are non-negotiable.

A Global Issue Requiring Local Action

The welding skills gap is global, but solutions must be local and practical:

• Earlier exposure to trades in schools
• Clearer career pathways beyond “welder only”
• Investment in training, supervision, and assessment
• Recognition that developing people is as critical as buying equipment

The message from industry leaders is consistent: if action is not taken now, project delays, cost overruns, and quality risks will only increase.

How AWSCE Is Helping Address the Welder Skills Shortage

1. Making Training More Accessible and Affordable Through Online Delivery

Traditional welding training often requires travel, accommodation, and time away from work—costs that quickly add up for trainees and employers alike.

AWS delivers theory-based components online, significantly reducing these indirect expenses while maintaining technical rigour.

By lowering travel and downtime costs, online delivery makes professional welding education more financially achievable, particularly for regional workers, small fabrication businesses, and apprentices entering the trade.

2. Learn When It Suits the Student

AWSCE online courses allow students to choose when they learn, enabling them to study around work, family, or site commitments. This flexibility not only improves completion rates but also reduces lost productivity for employers—making training a smarter investment.

Students can start at a time that suits them, progress at their own pace, and focus learning around real-world job demands.

3. Remote Video Skill Assessment and Refinement

AWS complements online learning with remote video-based practical assessment, allowing students to submit recorded welds, participate in live video reviews, and receive expert guidance on technique, parameters, and compliance.

This approach:

• Reduces the need for repeated travel to training centres
• Lowers overall training costs
• Provides faster, targeted skill refinement

Rather than replacing hands-on training, remote assessment enhances it—delivering practical feedback in a more cost-effective and scalable way.

A Cost-Effective Path to Closing the Skills Gap

By combining online learning, flexible scheduling, and remote skill assessment, AWS delivers a high-quality yet more affordable pathway into welding and welding-related roles.

This model supports new entrants, experienced welders seeking formal recognition, and employers needing competent, compliant personnel—without the financial barriers of traditional training.

The result: more people able to train, upskill, and qualify—helping industry meet demand while controlling costs and maintaining welding quality and safety standards.

Conclusion

The skilled trades gap is not a future problem — it is a present one. Welding sits at the centre of modern infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy systems, and without a deliberate effort to rebuild the talent pipeline, the consequences will be felt far beyond the workshop floor.

As highlighted in the Weld Wednesday discussion, this is not about nostalgia for the past — it is about protecting the future of an industry that quite literally holds the world together.

If the warning is ignored, the cost will be measured not just in labour shortages, but in lost capability, lost knowledge, and lost opportunity.