Reporting for Fox News today, the American Welding Society estimates that there will be a shortage of welders to supply American industry in 3 years. Watch the video of the report below and the full article.
The demand for welders in the United States continues to grow as fewer young people pursue the career. It can be a great opportunity for you who are or want to go to the American country in search of work. We will leave additional information and a video of how to take the legally seen in the course of the matter. This report was based on a Fox News story released on February 22, 2020.
“I went home one day and I was like, 'You know, I think I want to weld,'” says Natalie Rhoades, a student at the Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT) in Williamsport. Rhoades is set to graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in welding and fabrication engineering technology. “I have a few things on my mind,” says Rhoades. “I would definitely like to do a welding inspection.”
New research suggests that it will have many opportunities when it enters this market in the United States.
The American Welding Society (AWS) estimates that there will be a shortage of more than 375.000 welders by 2023.
“There are a lot of solder spots out there that need filling,” said PCT student Alex Bibber.
AWS researchers point to several factors that influence the shortage of workers.
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“Scarcity is due to attrition. Whether it's retirements, people leaving the industry or people looking for other better paying areas. It is also due to a negative perception of welding,” said Monica Pfarr, executive director of the American Welding Society Foundation.
Rhoades, one of the 18 women in a program of more than 300 students agrees that there is a stigma surrounding the profession.
“Just because you're a girl, people think it's dangerous work. They think it's dirty, you know, you won't be able to do it. But it's actually nothing like that. It doesn't bother me,” Rhoades said.
Watch Fox News Video Report Aired 22/02/2020 below
According to Pfarr, the shortage of welders in the United States also stems from the fact that students are increasingly choosing universities over vocational schools.
“There's a belief that everyone needs a four-year degree to be successful, and that's not the case,” said Pfarr, who also suggested that fewer secondary schools are exposing students to the possibility of enrolling in vocational schools.
“Unless they have someone in their family as a role model, they have no idea this is a possible career path for them,” Pfarr said.
PCT is doing its part to make up the shortfall, having just completed a $7 million expansion of its welding lab, one of the largest in the country.
“We just added 3.251607 m² to our welding facility,” says Brad Webb, director of industrial, computing and engineering technologies at PCT.
The entire facility measures over 55.000 square feet, nearly the size of a football field.
The expansion of the welding lab will allow the school to enroll approximately 60 more students per year, in addition to the more than 300 students who already participate in the program. College officials say this was necessary due to growing student interest.
“We had a waiting list of four or five years of students that we couldn't accommodate because we didn't have enough physical space to bring them in,” says Webb. “… [We have] new robotics, an electron beam welder, a laser welder. A lot of technology that our students might not have seen before.”
PCT students can choose to earn a welding certificate, an associate's degree, or a bachelor's degree.
“One of the reasons for the expansion was to attract more students because we know we can create sustainable family earnings from these careers and we want to make sure all these people have that opportunity,” says Webb.
According to Webb, students with an associate's degree usually start earning at least $40.000 a year. (just over R$175 per year or about R$14 per month at today's exchange rate)
“I think a lot of people just don't understand that welding jobs aren't just getting out there and welding in a muddy hole or using heavy equipment,” says Bibber. “You could work on factory lines, program robots, you could go get a job at Chevy and work on new Corvettes. “
Rhoades plans to work as a welding inspector when he finishes earning his bachelor's degree.
“I think it's really rewarding… just being a girl in a male-dominated field,” she says. “People kind of look at you and don't think you can do it, but we can do anything they can do.”
Watch the video on how to get your US work visa
Forms mentioned in the video:
- Form DS-160 - https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/
- Fee payment and scheduling – https://ais.usvisa-info.com/pt-br/niv
- US Embassy – https://br.usembassy.gov/pt/visas-pt/
