This lack of skills and experience is little wonder, given that successive state and federal governments have slashed funding to TAFE. And, under one of the most ridiculous policy experiments ever undertaken by Australian governments—the marketised delivery system—TAFE is now forced to compete with private providers for student dollars. TAFEs simply do not have the capacity or capability to upgrade or modernise courses and curricula, or to develop new qualifications designed to capitalise on the emerging needs of advanced manufacturing.

This lack of skilled workers is compounded by the fact that over 35 per cent of Australia’s existing welding workforce is aged over 45 years. This heavy proportion of older skilled trade workers, particularly welders, puts into focus the looming issues that industrial sectors are likely to face when baby boomers finally reach retirement age—welding positions will simply become impossible to fill, particularly given the projected increased demand.

In fact, the Australian Government has projected that, to 2024, the number of job openings for structural steel and welding trades will be above average. In some states, advertised vacancies have shown substantial increases over the last few years; Queensland has seen welding trades workers vacancies increase by 87 per cent , Western Australia saw vacancies increase by 80 per cent , and Victoria saw an increase of 18 per cent .

It is little wonder that welders are expected to be more in demand than ever. There are several large-scale, high-value projects on the horizon, from the Federal Government’s $90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Program, through to major infrastructure projects such as the $12 billion Sydney Metro project, and the $5 billion Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

Add to these the major projects that federal and state governments are fast-tracking in effort to bolster the economy post-COVID-19—like the $10 billion inland rail project, the Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria, and the expansion of Olympic Dam in South Australia—and the demand for welders is galvanised.

And yet, the number of welding trade workers in Australia dropped by 8 per cent in the course of just five years; from 75,800 in 2014 to 69,600 in 2019. In addition, completion rates of welding apprenticeships, including a Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade), continue to fall by as much as 23 per cent annually.

The rise in women’s employment rates since 1974 has improved Australia’s economic activity by 22 per cent, but perhaps more significantly, the personal gains afforded women by boosting their workforce participation have been immense.

Providing a wide range of viable career opportunities for girls and young women has been critical to ending the cycle of employment disadvantage and disparity.

There are many advantages are waiting for women who opt for a career in welding. There are significant economic benefits for women in non-traditional trades, from increased choice and availability of jobs, through to improved job security.

In addition, a career in a trade like welding can open up opportunities for women start and run their own businesses as a pathway to financial security and independence.

More and more, welding is becoming a high-tech trade. The modern welder must be skilled in robotics, computer programming and engineering. They must have an affinity for maths and science, as well as artistic and spatial skills that enable them to quickly and easily conceptualise ideas.

Plus, they must have the patience and temperament for precise, exacting work. Given all these specialist skills, welders have access to extremely well-paid jobs that offer the flexibility and mobility that modern women—particularly working mothers—need.