Why is there a big shortage of welders?

[Kevtherev]

Not an easy job every day of the week

 

[Lakesdigger]

I am going back to 1980, I was an apprentice mechanical fitter , there was vickers, glaxo, bowater Scott, plus a myriad of supporting small firms
Lads from our village either went in to farming or industry, not many would want to work in the super market, in fact I remember my folks shopping in Ulverston, no big supermarkets until Asda opened in Barrow, but that’s another story , plus the fact youngsters would sooner be at uni than get dirty hands
As an aside .. I went on to do my hnd and was chief engineer in a dairy in Manchester, I approached a director one day re some funding for some training, he actually put his hand up and said “ your here to mend things , how dare you talk to me about funding”
I quit soon after and went self employed taking great pleasure to bill them a day a week to bale them out of the sh*t

Without doubt there are not the same number of opportunities as there isn't the same amount of manufacturing here as there was. I can't go back as far as you but i do know minimum wage hasn't helped lads stick at getting a trade. Don't get me wrong it's made a difference for a lot of people in bottom of the ladder jobs but it's also taking people away from apprenticeships as they can't see the bigger picture only that they can get more money.

 

[glasshouse]

There is a shortage of welders in the country, even at jcb
Is it because certificates are needed?
Or the wages are crap?

A lot of firms folded thanks to thatcher in the early eighties, so no apprentices since then.
Those who left school in late 70, s now retiring, hence shortage of all skills

 

[Wood field]

A lot of firms folded thanks to thatcher in the early eighties, so no apprentices since then.
Those who left school in late 70, s now retiring, hence shortage of all skills

We had guys from Scotland, Ireland, and the North east in Barrow, all very good tradesmen moved down with the old jobs for life promises
I was young enough and traveled the world with work , some of those poor buggers were thrown on the scrap heap at 50
Not just Maggie to be fair but every govt since

 

[Wood field]

Without doubt there are not the same number of opportunities as there isn't the same amount of manufacturing here as there was. I can't go back as far as you but i do know minimum wage hasn't helped lads stick at getting a trade. Don't get me wrong it's made a difference for a lot of people in bottom of the ladder jobs but it's also taking people away from apprenticeships as they can't see the bigger picture only that they can get more money.

That would depend on your outlook, lad from our village got on with murphys doing the gas pipeline through from barrow, I was a 2nd year apprentice, we would all be in the village pub ( remember them) and he would laugh at us saying we were daft doing 4 or 5 yrs on shite money plus college and night school whilst he earned twice as much labouring.
Long term I got qualified and he’s still a general labourer on sites
I don’t knock any ones job by the Way be they a bin man or a doctor

 

[Lakesdigger]

That would depend on your outlook, lad from our village got on with murphys doing the gas pipeline through from barrow, I was a 2nd year apprentice, we would all be in the village pub ( remember them) and he would laugh at us saying we were daft doing 4 or 5 yrs on shite money plus college and night school whilst he earned twice as much labouring.
Long term I got qualified and he’s still a general labourer on sites
I don’t knock any ones job by the Way be they a bin man or a doctor

Without doubt outlook makes a difference. Tbh schools have a lot to answer for the education system up to age 16 is geared towards university and those who are clearly not going to get grades good enough to go to uni or are simply not interested in uni aren't given any other choice. There are virtually no practical skills learned in schools now and they certainly don't teach you that practical skills can take you anywhere in life. Possibly why there's an outlook issue?

 

[Wood field]

Without doubt outlook makes a difference. Tbh schools have a lot to answer for the education system up to age 16 is geared towards university and those who are clearly not going to get grades good enough to go to uni or are simply not interested in uni aren't given any other choice. There are virtually no practical skills learned in schools now and they certainly don't teach you that practical skills can take you anywhere in life. Possibly why there's an outlook issue?

Yes I agree, coming from my background, I remember taking my son to the open evening at secondary school
The teacher showing us around said proudly, these are the technology classes, I was stupidly expecting woodwork and metalwork rooms not fabric and textiles
Makes me a bit of a dinosaur

 

[JeepJeep]

Have you tried welding for 4O hrs a week ?

5 x 12-hour shifts in Ifors 6-6 and it's in the arse end of nowhere.

 

[Dave W]

There is a shortage of welders in the country, even at jcb
Is it because certificates are needed?
Or the wages are crap?

Certificates aren't worth the paper their written on in production lines.
I used to fabricate forklift truck and don't have a single welding qualification.
truck was inspected and load tested at the end. If it passed it was good enough.

If one good thing comes out of covid it's the realisation that all the thousands of folk in offices don't pretend jobs are totally unnecessary. And it's welders and lorry drivers and electricians and road diggers and all the other medium skilled jobs that actually keep the country going are soon going to be more valued.
It's already happened in haulage industry with much better wages. I genuinely think the rest will follow

 

[glasshouse]

Certificates aren't worth the paper their written on in production lines.
I used to fabricate forklift truck and don't have a single welding qualification.
truck was inspected and load tested at the end. If it passed it was good enough.

If one good thing comes out of covid it's the realisation that all the thousands of folk in offices don't pretend jobs are totally unnecessary. And it's welders and lorry drivers and electricians and road diggers and all the other medium skilled jobs that actually keep the country going are soon going to be more valued.
It's already happened in haulage industry with much better wages. I genuinely think the rest will follow

Add fermers to that list

 

[Shep]

Don't tell me.........it's due to Brexit isn't it ? That'll be it. They've all gone back home due to Bexit. I knew it. Brexit.

Actually no, I was pricing a machine before Christmas and was told I'd have to wait 1 year for delivery as they were short of welders. This machine is made in the EU.

 

[Shep]

NC engineering, which is local to us, gave the welders a pay rise,.then the draughtsmen started complaining that they wanted one too!
One of the bosses told them, that if they want a pay rise then get out into the shed and start welding as he could fill the office with draughtsmen any day of the week. Apparently they went quiet pretty quick.

 

[kiwi pom]

5 x 12-hour shifts in Ifors 6-6 and it's in the arse end of nowhere.

Is that what they do? No wonder they can't get anyone.
What would they make an hour?

 

[Hilly]

5 x 12-hour shifts in Ifors 6-6 and it's in the arse end of nowhere.

What they offering £

 

[Hilly]

A lot of firms folded thanks to thatcher in the early eighties, so no apprentices since then.
Those who left school in late 70, s now retiring, hence shortage of all skills

Not Maggie, all governments Blair done the most damage, used to be if they fuked up the next party fixed it usually the Tory’s do the fixing the Labour do the spending , but Blair fuked everything totaly so much damage done to the U.K. now it’s in fixable .

 

[Kevtherev]

Certificates aren't worth the paper their written on in production lines.
I used to fabricate forklift truck and don't have a single welding qualification.
truck was inspected and load tested at the end. If it passed it was good enough.

If one good thing comes out of covid it's the realisation that all the thousands of folk in offices don't pretend jobs are totally unnecessary. And it's welders and lorry drivers and electricians and road diggers and all the other medium skilled jobs that actually keep the country going are soon going to be more valued.
It's already happened in haulage industry with much better wages. I genuinely think the rest will follow

I wouldn’t say any of those are medium skilled jobs certainly key workers when all the made up office job types were on furlough.

 

[Hilly]

My father used to write a letter to the training board quarterly in the 80’s explaining if they did not change their ways their would be no apprentices and the ones they have were not getting proper training as to short and you will end up with trades men that ar not as good as previous generation …. Fast forward and boom how right was he and they used to laugh at him . The trades men of my fathers generation had unbelievable skills had to be seen to be believed, today’s generation are watered down in comparison , the old men had no tech just skills in their hands .

 

[Wood field]

My father used to write a letter to the training board quarterly in the 80’s explaining if they did not change their ways their would be no apprentices and the ones they have were not getting proper training as to short and you will end up with trades men that ar not as good as previous generation …. Fast forward and boom how right was he and they used to laugh at him . The trades men of my fathers generation had unbelievable skills had to be seen to be believed, today’s generation are watered down in comparison , the old men had no tech just skills in their hands .

We seen this. Was on a contract working at heysham power station, when it was announced any one ( power station staff) could apply for a “ modern apprenticeship “
The weekly newsletter had a 40 odd year old storeman being the first to be accessed as an apprentice maintenance engineer
2 yr course made a mockery of what we had to do
As an aside despite government or industry and lack of opportunities, the computer age has finished a lot of skilled jobs.
Vickers had a machine shop a 1/4 mile long, row after row of lathes, mills, surface grinders etc.
Now a programmer can run them with cnc

 

[JeepJeep]

What they offering £

Position: Welder and Fabricator - Tegid Days - Ty’n Llidiart

Location: IWT Ty’n Llidiart, Ty’n Llidiart Industrial Estate. LL21 9RR.

Salary: Earn up to £38,870 per annum

Summary:

• Monday to Friday 6am - 6pm
• Every weekend off
• Uniform and PPE provided
• 28 days holiday per year
• Company pension scheme
• Free car parking

More Details:

Join our enthusiastic manufacturing team with permanent roles for long term careers. You have the opportunity to work at a world class manufacturing site, with an investment of over £50 million in advanced manufacturing machinery, including Robotic Welders, Automated Fibre Laser Profiling, Vertical Turning Centres, Turret Punching Machines, CNC Press Brakes.

As a Welder and Fabricator, you will be working within a highly advanced and fast-paced manufacturing environment. Your role will be to assemble and weld chassis, components and sub-assemblies. Ideally you will be an experienced MIG Welder with a background of working in a similar manufacturing environment, using grinders and other associated hand and power tools. The ability to read and work accurately from engineering drawings is needed in some of our welding roles. Candidates direct from college, looking for a first step on the career ladder, will also be considered for development within this skill set.

If you would like any further information, please call the Recruitment Team: 01490 412 626

Reference ID: TEGID DAYS - WELD

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: Up to £38,870.00 per year

 

[Sharpy]

Very roughly maximum £750 per week before tax and NI, or maybe £600 take home for a 55hr week? A mystery why they don't have folk pleading with them for a job.