Not enough apprentices are taking up trade careers, according to Weld Australia.(Unsplash:Benjamin Wedemeyer)
There aren't enough welders to create the infrastructure for green energy in Australia, according to industry body Weld Australia.
The country must double the capacity of its fabrication industry to meet demand from the renewables sector, but not enough apprentices are taking up trade careers, the peak body suggests.
In the realm of welding, the forecastworker shortage is dire.
By 2030, we will be 70,000 welders short, Weld Australia chief executiveGeoff Crittenden said.
This is not an exclusively Australian problem. In America, they will be short half a million welders and the Japanese will be 250,000 short.
Geoff Crittenden says more investment in apprentices is needed.(ABC News: Jerry Rickard)
Welding 'fundamental' for renewables
Renewable energy products such as solar panels, wind turbinesand hydropower all requirewelding labourers for building and maintenance.
Steel is absolutely fundamental to the whole renewable energy strategy,Mr Crittenden said.
The fabrication industry hasshrunk by about 20 per cent over the past 20 years, withthe number of welders in Australia decreasingfrom 90,000 to just under 60,000.
In Queensland, we have fabricators that are working at about 50 per cent capacity because they can't find people to do the welding, Mr Crittenden said.
He attributed the drop in workforce numbers to the importation of most of Australia's fabricated steel and theencouragement of school leavers into university.
We haven't had that drive toward trades, he said.
Adrian Pope runs a diesel repair business in Mount Isa which services large-scale machinery for clients around the globe.
Worker shortages are his biggest problem.
It's very hard. For the work that we put out, we could use another 10 diesel fitters, 10 more auto sparkies, he said.
We do have to turn people away; we just don't have the capacity to work the jobs, he said.
Business owner Adrian Pope (left), withapprentice Clay Ferguson, has to turn away work due to a lack of welders.(ABC North West Qld: Larissa Waterson)
Answer lies in apprentices
Mr Pope said greater investment was needed to increase the number of trainees on tools.
There's not enough focus on the apprentices coming through, he said.
He isdisappointedthat bigger organisations like mining companies had reduced the number of trainees they took on.
Larger companies used to put a lot of apprentices on but you just don't seethat anymore, he said.
The other solution is trying to get skilled workers from overseas; it's something we have looked at but that is certainly a challenge as well.
MrCrittenden thinksthe existing study path apprentices followneedsa complete overhaul.
Currently a Certificate III takes three years to complete and involves studying once a week while working.
Mr Crittenden said a one-year course would encourage more school leavers and mature studentsto enter the industry.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-24/70-000-welders-needed-in-australia-by-2030/101689142
