A question about the article where have all the welders gone

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 04-03-2007 02:09

I'm in what is commonly referred to as the "rust belt" and if every tech college in the midwest graduated every welder in every seat of every program they couldn't fill half the positions open right now.

Last week I was part of a forum of educators, expert welders and employers who are trying to respond to the shortage of welders in our region. Of the 10 businesses represented, 6 of them said if 20 welders showed up today and could pass the test they would have a job. The other 4 employers were smaller but were looking for craftsmen as well.

I'll come right out and say it.
The death of American manufacturing is a lie!

The manufacturers who mismanage themselves with poor process control and lack of employee cross utilization are suffering. The ones who adapt and maximize personel talent and control process are out producing every other nation in the world in every possible method of production and profit calculation.

Our region has lost some major employers and may loose a few more... Thats life and thats business. Things go up and down and the folks with the drive to excell will do just that.

Next to welding this may be my favorite subject.

By CWI555

Date 04-03-2007 03:16

There is one thing you can count on, the media may be reporting declines, but the US bridge and energy infrastructure is in serious trouble. Refineries, power plants, transmission lines, you name it, we need it. Even if we outsourced the major portion of those to overseas companies, we would still have to assemble them here. Either way you cut it, there is and will be for the immediate future and probably the intermediate future a severe lack of skilled welders in the U.S. not to mention machinist, fitters, and others. Which is sad considering it wasn't that long ago that the U.S. lead the world in it. We are going to have to kick the tree huggers in the ###s and just get it done if we still want cold beer on super bowl Sunday, the gas to go get the beer, and the bridge to get us over the river to the store. (not to mention all the intermediate trucks, plants, and other associated industries required for the simple act of drinking a cold one. I know that sounds ridiculous on the surface, but how many people actually think about what it took to create, that beer, electricity, gas, and other matters required. Not many in my opinion.

Regards,
Gerald

By ZCat

Date 04-03-2007 03:42

By God, I want my beer on Super Bowl Sunday!!!! :-) Y'all need to start training some young fellers to weld.

By MDG Custom Weld (***)

Date 04-03-2007 08:19

I think the "decline" the media focuses on is in the auto industry. I have been in Southern Michigan for 30 years, and in that time the auto industry has declined 10 fold. I don't think it's because of lack of skilled people, it really has to do with the technological leaps in manufacturing. Today it takes less people to perform the same amount of work, so in turn, less people are required. Others manufacturing industries have been and will continue to grow at a remarkable rate.
If you want a manufacturing job, blue or white collar, keep out of the auto industry and any sub supplier that is 50% or more releated to the auto industry.

By medicinehawk (**)

Date 04-03-2007 09:34

[deleted]

By trlblzr302 (**)

Date 04-03-2007 11:17

Don't mean to bring in my personal experience, but why not...?

Some of us as skilled tradesman with our own shops and or rigs that are ready, willing and able to bring a service or product are never called.. Passed by, lead on, strung along etc...
I have plenty of insurance, plenty of good references and plenty of experience... What is the problem....?
A small outfit from the garden state that does top quality work from start to finish can't fabricate here and ship to another state in the union.....? Any suggestions Gentlemen....?

Brian

By bozaktwo1 (***)

Date 04-03-2007 11:34

I work for a small fab company that is in transition from small to bigger, and one of the biggest hurdles is becoming ISO compliant. With the cost of manufacturing so high, folks need to be reassured that what they are buying is industry standard for quality. It'll be interesting to see where this thread goes.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 04-03-2007 12:31 Edited 04-03-2007 23:16

Hawk,

Entry level skills merit entry level pay..

Expert level skills merit expert level pay.

Those places I noted before were indeed entry level positions.. Paying about $15 to start.. Full benefits and insurance and paid vacation... Not bad in my neck of the woods, a person can get by on that wage in my state.

But there are other jobs too.
In Milwaukee just a few miles north... I know of at least 3 employers.. One looking for 50 welders, one looking for 20 and the other looking for 20. All of these are offering *starting* wages (after passing a pretty tough exam) at around $25... One is offering a $10,000 signing bonus for out of towners. One is willing to let you into their in house school for FREE to bring pretty good welders up to speed so they can pass their test. One has a profit/incentive program where *welders* in 2006 averaged around $35 hr....... These are manufacturing welding positions, some union some not.

As far as auto makers and suppliers go... There are more cars built in America than ever before. Detroit and unionized (IAW) facilities chroniclly suffer from that poor process control, unskilled unionized labor making $30 hr. and under cross-utilization of the rightly well paid skilled labor.

I"m not anti-union here. Some locals are working much more wisely and adapting. They will survive. A profitable plant will not be closed, all others are at risk. American auto manufacturing can be profitable and still pay skilled craftsmen reasonable wages. It really is that simple.

By MDG Custom Weld (***)

Date 04-03-2007 15:45

Lawrence,
I agree with you about the auto industry building more cars now than ever, but each unit has 1/2 the labor content than those of 15 or 20 years ago. The labor content has shifted from non skilled labor making up the majority, to skilled labor increasing and in the future will be the majority. Furthermore, your point on the under-utilization of the rightly well skilled is just the reason I suggested he not look at that industry as holding a strong future. Why should he go in as the green horn and be overlooked because it doesn't have 20 or 30 yrs in the plant, and be the first one out the door when the plant slowed down? Don't get me wrong, the auto industry has given my family and I a great life, but it's not the life I'm going to leave my kids to live. That's why we have our own rigs and shop working to stay out of that industry all together!

By Sourdough (****)

Date 04-05-2007 04:16

Get your ged, want it bad, buy steal or borrow, and get 'er done

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 04-05-2007 17:38

Hey Lawrence,
I believe you've really nailed the skilled/unskilled market and company management employee search for qualified workers. I'm here in SW PA, also part of the infamous "Rust Belt", and surprisingly there are many opportunities open right now. Although the pay rate here is lower than a lot of other areas, the rate/cost of living parameter is not too bad. I have turned down at least 20 offers in the last year, mainly because of the travel/traffic nightmare in the PGH. metro area. In addition, many of these companies insult your value rather than make a fair wage offer. Most want your skill, talent, and work ethic, but expect you to work for the wages of a highschool grad..

Any company offering a 10G sign on bonus is definitely worth investigation. I see a lot of youngsters who are afraid to venture out and make a life for themselves because of not having the courage to sever the apron strings of mommy & daddy. There's good money to be made....just gotta hustle and ask..."How bad you want it?".......Denny

By New-Welder1 (*)

Date 04-07-2007 04:06

thanks for the replys all, i havent really seen a lot in the area of decline/expanding in manufacturing, the only real industry where i live is the phosphate industry , and it has declined a lot laying off over 2000 people in the last year, but of course thats only in my small corner of the world.

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 04-07-2007 13:12

The company I am now working for has gotten to the point we are hiring fitters and welders from contract labor providers. Even those that come in have about a 15% fail rate. We have used most of the skilled labor in the area. The plant has worked 50 to 56 hours a week, two shifts, for a few years now. In town recently, a furniture factory shut its doors and overall it looks bad for the area however we still have a 2 to 3 year backlog building Air pollution Control Equipment. Its just that those people probably have little to no experience in our industry. Instead of local people, we have hired about 20 people from the contract labor provider.

I want to start a training facility for the area just for skilled metalworking trades and just dont know where to start.

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 04-08-2007 00:58

Hey pw_1999,
I'll try to pose some questions and personal opinion regarding your need for qualified welders. Your company is fortunate to have that kind of workload and with a local factory shutting down, there should be workers who want a job, willing to learn a new trade, and make a comfortable living with the hours you indicate are available. Suggestions:
1.) Print out a query/survey and maybe place them in stores/gas stations/,etc.
2.) An ad in the newspaper classifieds
This should allow for a reasonable input level of potential candidates.
3.) The search for a suitable building or facility to set up a training shop.
3.) How much of your needed resources would your company be willing to assist you?
4.) Any chances of the major welding manufacturers be willing to donate equipment or supplies?
5.) Are there any persons willing to donate some personal time to help you?

I must commend your character and nature to want to initiate something that would benefit the entire community and labor workforce. I do hope you can get this project rolling and have success as you have honor and integrity...fast becoming archaic.....Denny