Overcoming Australia’s Welding Skills Crisis
Weld Australia’s Micro-Credential Program Offers a Lifeline
Australia is grappling with a welding workforce crisis, with a projected shortfall of 70,000 skilled welders by 2030 threatening major national projects, including South Australia’s $9.9 billion Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project, the AUKUS submarine initiative, and critical shipbuilding programs. With larger firms absorbing available talent, small to medium-sized businesses are struggling to remain operational.
In response, Weld Australia has launched an innovative micro-credential program designed to rapidly train job-ready, certified welders in just 12 weeks. This program complements traditional apprenticeships, offering a comprehensive solution to address both immediate and long-term workforce demands.
The welding industry’s existing apprenticeship model is crucial, producing highly skilled and versatile welders. However, the urgent demand for welders on key national projects simply cannot wait for the 3-4 years required to fully train apprentices. Weld Australia’s micro-credential program offers an immediate solution by providing students with targeted procedure training aligned with the ISO 9606 standard. This standard certifies individuals to perform specific welding procedures, allowing them to become job-ready in as little as 12 weeks, depending on the intensity of the program.
Importantly, students who complete the ISO 9606 micro-credential are in an ideal position to continue their training through an apprenticeship, entering the program with accelerated knowledge and hands-on experience that will help them progress faster and more confidently.
According to Geoff Crittenden, CEO of Weld Australia, “Rather than competing with traditional apprenticeship programs, our micro-credential approach fills the gaps and enhances the offering. It allows students to start contributing to the workforce quickly, while still keeping the door open for further, long-term training. This way, we have a comprehensive approach to addressing the welding shortage with short, medium, and long-term solutions.”
“The ISO 9606 certification gives employers a job-ready welder—someone who can step onto a project and deliver the required welds from day one. It’s a much-needed approach to help address the welding shortage without compromising on quality or safety,” said Crittenden.
The program also aims to engage marginalised groups, including Indigenous communities, women, and the long-term unemployed, building on the success of Weld Australia’s prison welding programs. School leavers are another key focus, providing them with a fast pathway into the workforce and competitive wages, with options to continue training through apprenticeships.
To ensure the program reaches areas of greatest demand, Weld Australia is establishing welding academies and forging partnerships with key industry stakeholders. This approach will address immediate workforce needs while creating a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers for the future.
“With these welding academies, we’re creating a sustainable solution for the future of Australia’s welding workforce. We’re addressing today’s crisis while also planning for the long-term needs of industry,” Crittenden said.
About us:
Weld Australia represents the welding profession in Australia. Its members are made up of individual welding professionals and companies of all sizes. Weld Australia members are involved almost every facet of Australian industry and make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy. The primary goal of Weld Australia is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). For more information or to join Weld Australia, please visit: www.weldaustralia.com.au.
Contact details:
Sally Wood on sally@wordly.com.au or 0434 442 687
